


The Artificial Selection Occurrence

by Axelrocks



Category: Big Bang Theory
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-03
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2017-11-28 00:56:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 75,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/668434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Axelrocks/pseuds/Axelrocks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU 3x01. Sheldon is always working and when he is with Penny and the guys he isn't there. Penny has decided that enough is enough and she's going to get to the bottom of this. No matter what. It may have to become Junior Rodeo time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Honey, you need to stop doing this. This isn't healthy and you of all people should know that!" Those were the first words out of her mouth the moment Sheldon settled himself in the passenger seat.

This was the fourth time this week alone that Sheldon had not left the University until well after eleven. This was the second time she had to pick him up because Leonard was already in bed and the other two times was by Leonard. He had not been happy about it by the way.

"Whatever do you mean, Penny?"

She could tell he was trying for a nonchalant tone but the twitch in his eye gave him away. His very own lie detector. He knew exactly what she was talking about but he didn't want to admit it. Stubborn.

"You know you can't lie, sweetie." She smirked at him and hoped that she would get one of his infamous glares. It was fun most times to get him riled up and lately he hadn't been acting like himself so it would make her happy if he went off on a spiel about science this or that or something Sheldon-y.

She didn't get a glare, she didn't even get a glance. Instead his gaze was focused out the windshield, looking at nothing in particular. He was in his own head now, most likely thinking of an equation. It was doubtless he hadn't even heard what she had said.

Dammit, Whackadoodle, what's wrong with you?

He was getting more and more in his head nowadays. It had gotten to the point where she would come into his apartment, see him working at his whiteboard and sit in his spot. He wouldn't tell her to move. Some days, she thought, he probably didn't even know she was there. Well, until Leonard would come in the room see her there and instantly began talking to her.

She would slide out of his Spot then, feeling awkward talking to Leonard while she sat there.

And if the other guys noticed strange with him they didn't say anything about it.

Of course, she thought angrily. They probably don't care. If Sheldon is always in his own head he's not there to annoy them and be his normal condescending self. What kind of friends were they?

"Penny?"

His voice broke her out of her thoughts. He was looking at her, actually looking at her, and not with the faraway glances she usually got. She sighed with relief.

"Yes, Sheldon?"

"I would appreciate it if you would stop glancing over at me and keep your eyes on the road. I would rather not die in a fiery car crash."

Now that sounded more like him.

She rolled her eyes, playfully. "Just think of the loss to science." She joked.

His small voice startled her, but not as much as the words he said with it. "It would not be that large of a loss." He looked away from her and out his own window.

"What?"

Immediately she yanked the steering wheel to the side, ignoring the way he was clutching the sides of his seat, and pulled off to the side of the road. Hastily she turned off the engine and looked at him, hoping that it was one of his 'Bazinga!'s.

It wasn't.

"Penny, we have yet arrived at our apartment building. Why have you stopped?"

"I stopped because I'm in shock at what you just said! Something is definitely wrong with you, Sheldon, and we are not leaving until you tell me."

"Nothing's wrong, Penny." Twitch. "Can we please go home now? I have some work that I wish to do before bed."

"That's another thing!" She exclaimed as she unbuckled her seatbelt and moved her body to face him. "You're always working!"

"Penny-"

She interrupted him and not caring about how much he hated it when someone did that to him.

"No, Sheldon. Last Saturday I did my laundry at 8:15, just like you do every Saturday, except you weren't there. Instead you were standing in front of your whiteboard in Science Land! Yesterday, you missed New Comic Day and Halo because you were working late at your office. I had to team up with Raj and we lost because he couldn't tell me when Howard was sneaking up behind me with a plasma grenade."

She knew she sounded angrier than she should be, but she remembered the indifference the guys had to Sheldon's absence.

"Oh, he's just working late, Penny. It's no big deal." Leonard had told her when she had asked where he was.

No big deal. She had wanted to scream at him. He never misses Halo night! Instead she didn't say anything and the topic of Sheldon was never brought up again.

Something was up and she was going to find out. But Sheldon was oddly silent in his seat.

"Tell me." She poked him hard in the shoulder.

He winced and rubbed the sore spot. "Penny, you know I bruise easily."

"Honey," she softened her voice. "I'm worried about you. Please tell me what's wrong. I won't tell the guys if that's what you want.

He looked at her, his blue eyes intense and…sad. She was wondering where the arrogant, smarter than you, Sheldon had gone. This was not him sitting in the seat next to her.

"Penny, how long has it been since Leonard, Howard, Raj and I returned from the Artic?"

Hmmm…it was the end of May now. They came back in…

He didn't give her a chance to answer.

"It has been eight months, two weeks and three days."

He probably could have even gotten it down to the minutes and even seconds since the moment they had landed in the U.S. But where was he going with all this?

"It has been eight months, two weeks and three days." He repeated. "Since my name and my work came into question. I was the laughingstock of the University for weeks."

"Oh, sweetie."

He ignored her and continued, "That didn't bother me though. I was always laughed at for one thing or another. But my name lost all credibility. All my work, all my research up until that point had to be reviewed and looked over to see if there was any mistakes." He looked at her again. "Penny. I don't make mistakes."

She gave him a small smile. "I know, sweetie."

He continued. "My work since then has to be reviewed, not by one, but multiple other physicist to make sure nothing is wrong with it."

She could tell how much that was bothering him. Sheldon Lee Cooper, PhD, never made mistakes. Ever. And right now she could visibly see his anger. His jaw was clenched so tight it had to be painful.

Her hand hovered over his shoulder, wanting to be a comfort to him. But she just let it hover there like she had done that first day they had come back. She then clenched her fists in anger. All Leonard had done was try to get with her and when Sheldon had found out what they had done he didn't even seem to care. She was glad she had only given him a hug instead of that kiss she thought he had deserved. After seeing him treat his best friend like that all he had deserved was a slap in the face.

He was lucky she hadn't given it to him.

And then when Sheldon ran off to Texas they had been reluctant to get him. She had threatened to go all Junior Rodeo on their asses if they didn't leave within the hour. If they hadn't, though, she knew she would have. Living in that small apartment of hers seemed even duller if she didn't have her crazy neighbor always knocking on her door, after eleven of course.

She didn't know what to say, but she tried for reassuring. "Don't worry, Sheldon, I'm sure any day now they're going to realize that you actually don't make mistakes and you'll get your credibility back."

"It's not going to happen, Penny!" He all but exploded, some of his accent coming out. "It's not going to happen and that's unacceptable. I've worked so hard to get where I am and with one little incident, one little prank." He gritted the words out. "It's all wiped away. I had the Nobel Prize within my grasp, but now I fear that I will never get it."

Oh, Moonpie…

"I've forgiven them for what they did."

She hadn't.

"But not a day goes by when I don't wish that I had gone down to the Arctic myself."

He was now looking down at his lap, hands gripping his knees. He looked so sad and she hated seeing him like this.

"To answer your question, Penny, the reason why I have been working so much is because I what them to know I am serious about what I'm doing and I want them to trust my work again."

Germs, be damned!

She reached over the seat and hugged him as best as she could while he was still seat belted in.

He didn't stiffen or move away, but he didn't hug her back either.

"Penny," his voice was small now. Tired. "Can we go home? I want to go home."

She pulled away from and sat back in her seat ,offering him a watery smile. She hoped he didn't see the tears threatening to spill over in her eyes.

"Of course, sweetie."


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

The rest of the trip back to their apartment building was silent, Sheldon kept his gaze out the window and didn't look at her once after his confession. They walked up the floor flights of stairs in silence, he remained one step ahead of her. When they reached his door he finally turned and looked at her.

"Thank you for the ride, Penny."

He didn't look at her for long and soon his gaze was on his feet and his fingers were playing with the strap on his messenger bag.

"You're welcome, sweetie. Now go and get some sleep." Smiling she patted him on the cheek and then turned to go to her own apartment. All she wanted to do was hop in the shower and maybe relax with a glass of wine…or two. But his next words stopped her.

"I will be heading to bed as soon as I work on some equations."

Oh no.

"One hour." She said firmly, arms crossed over her chest and she gave him a stern look.

"One hour?" He gave her a look of confusion, eyebrows furrowed together over his blue, blue eyes. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"You have one hour, Sheldon Cooper, to work on those equations and then you are going straight to bed to start those REM cycles."

"Penny," he looked down at her in his condescending way. "You can hardly put a time limit on science."

"That may be so, but I can sure as hell put a time limit on you." She gave him a small push into his apartment. "Now get your tall, skinny butt inside and get what you need to get done." She followed him inside and shut the door after herself. "And when that hour is up you can either walk yourself to your bed or I can drag you there Junior Rodeo style."

~S-P~

Sheldon was taking notebooks, pens and other various things out of his messenger bag. Penny had no idea how he fit all that stuff in there. His bag was like the Mary Poppin's bag of science.

He spoke with his back to her. "You know, Penny, you don't have to stay here. I am perfectly capable of knowing when an hour is up."

Ha! You may know when an hour is up, Moonpie, but that doesn't mean you'll stop working.

"Nice try, Sheldon." She plopped herself on the couch, using the pillow in Sheldon's spot as a cushion for her head. "I know that if I leave and not check up on you in an hour you'll probably work the whole night."

He grumbled as he positioned several notebooks perfectly on his desk, each edge perfectly aligned with the one underneath.

"Oh," she spoke up again, eyes closed. "Your hour started five minutes ago, by the way."

He squawked and immediately flew to his whiteboard, marker in hand.

~S-P~

Twenty-five minutes in, Leonard stumbled into the apartment. Slightly drunk and alone. So he had not gotten lucky on this Anything Can Happen Thursday bar excursion with Howard and Raj. Sheldon didn't even look at him, his eyes fixed intently on his board. He probably hadn't even noticed that his roommate had come home.

But Leonard took one look at Penny, who was still laying on the couch but with a magazine, and brightened. Any day he got to talk to Penny was a good day.

"Hey, Penny." His words were slightly slurred. "Whatcha doing?"

She didn't even look at him as she flipped a page in her magazine. "Just making sure Sheldon doesn't overdue it with the science." Checking her phone, that had been laying on the couch next to her, she called to Sheldon's back. "Sweetie, you have thirty-five minutes."

If he had heard her he didn't show it.

Leonard looked between the two and wondered what was going on between the two of them this time. Sometimes he didn't want to know and right now he was too drunk and tired to ask.

"Well, I'm going to head to bed. Goodnight, Penny." He smiled at her and walked to the hallway. "Goodnight, Sheldon." He said to his roommate as he passed by.

"Night, Leonard."

This was said by Penny and the only goodnight he received. It was the only goodnight that mattered, though.

~S-P~

Penny jolted awake when her pocket started to vibrate. Taking out her phone she saw that it was her alarm going off. Sheldon's hour was up. Now to tell the man himself.

She sat up, stretched. "Alright, Moonpie, time's up!" She knew she probably said that a little to cheery for it being almost one in the morning, but if it broke him out of his science spell than so be it.

He turned to her, panic on his face at the thought of abandoning his unsolved equations. "But Penny-"

"Nope!" She grabbed him by the arm and began to drag him to his room. "You can solve the mysteries of the universe tomorrow."

"But, Penny, I need to work on them now. I've almost-"

"Sheldon, you have work in the morning. You can work on them then, when you are actually getting paid to work on them, and you need your sleep now." She poked him hard in the chest and he stumbled into his room.

He glared at him and rub at his chest. She smirked.

Ah, there you are! Now I can finally say I'm in Sheldon Cooper's presence and not some workaholic robot.

"You have five minutes." She held up her hand and spread her fingers out. "Five minutes to put on your pajamas and then I'm coming back in here."

Shutting the door, she effectively shut off any protests he was going to give her. She stood there against the door and didn't hear any movement.

"Four minutes and counting, Sheldon!"

Her hand covered her mouth to stifle a giggle when she heard his unhappy sigh and a drawer opening. She knew she was probably having too much fun bossing him around, but she knew it was actually for his own good. He was going to make himself sick if he didn't start getting some sleep. And she knew they, especially her because she would be the one to take care of him(damn you, Leonard!), didn't need another 'Code Milky-Green'.

Not really keeping track of the time she figured he had had enough time to get dressed so she opened his door and walked in. She heard a yelp and turned to Sheldon, who was standing by his closet clutching a white t-shirt to his chest. He had his pajama bottoms on, but was naked from the waist up.

"Penny! I would appreciate if you wouldn't just barge into my room, even though people cannot be in room, and violate my privacy!"

She rolled her eyes. "Stop acting like a teenage girl. It's nothing I haven't seen before. Vapor Rub, remember?"

Ignoring her, he demanded. "Turn around."

"Sheldon."

"Penny." His eyes narrowed and so did hers. They were having one of their infamous stare offs.

"Fine!" She threw her hands up in defeat and turned around. Not two seconds later he declared that he was decent.

"Good." She pointed to the bed. "Now get in bed, mister."

"Can I at least brush my teeth first?"

"Oh. Yeah. Sure. But you better come right back!"

She felt like she was talking to a six year old. A tall and incredibly smart six year old.

Few minutes later he returned smelling minty fresh and once again yelped in surprise when he saw where Penny was sitting.

"Penny, you're in my bed. People can't be in my room and they can't be on my bed!" He stood there with his arms crossed angrily over his chest. He looked just short of stomping his foot in frustration.

She pushed her back against the headboard, crossed her feet at the ankles, getting comfortable. "Do you expect me to sing you 'Soft Kitty' standing up? Not after the shift I worked today."

"But 'Soft Kitty' is only for when I'm sick. I'm not sick."

Yet.

"Look, do you want me to sing it to you or what?" She was getting impatient and tired. She wanted to get this over with and go to bed. She had an early shift in the morning.

His eyes widened and he scrambled into to bed, settling directly in the middle. Assuming his vampire pose, he pulled the comforter up to his chest and looked up at her, waiting.

She couldn't help but smile at his eagerness.

"Are you ready?"

He nodded and closed his eyes.

"Alright." She cleared her throat and began.

"Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur. Happy kitty, sleepy kitty purr purr purr."

She looked down and smiled at how peaceful he looked laying there. With one finally glance she slowly lifted herself off the bed, trying to not jostle Sheldon, and headed for the door.

"Good night, Penny," he said softly.

"Goodnight, sweetie." She stopped at the doorway and looked at him one last time. "Oh, and I'll be sleeping on your couch so don't even try to sneak out once I'm gone."

She closed the door behind her and couldn't help but smile when she heard him say, "Drat!"

~S-P~

Thunk!

Instantly Penny was up. "Sheldon, I swear if that's you- Oh, hey Leonard."

"Um, hey Penny." He was rubbing the back of his head sheepishly and closed the refrigerator door with a bottle of water in the other hand. "So, um, what are you doing on our couch?"

"Just making sure Sheldon doesn't come sneaking out of his room to work."

"Oh, about that." He came over and sat adjacent to her on the armchair. "You know you don't have to do this for him. He gets like this a lot and you shouldn't waste your time on him, he'll get himself out of this in no time."

Damn him! He was jealous! She could read it in his face. He was jealous because she was spending time with Sheldon. It didn't matter that she was only doing it to help. More time with Sheldon was less time with him. Damn him! He had absolutely no right to be jealous. No right at all! If he would actually take a look at his best friend, if any of them took a look at him, and not at her they would see how he really was.

But to Leonard, Howard, and Raj the less of Sheldon the better. And even when he was there, hanging out with them, he wasn't there. His mind was somewhere else and she noticed how his fingers would twitch on his thighs, as he sat in his spot, aching to hold a marker.

She wanted to scream and yell at all of them. It was all their faults and they were doing nothing to help. Sheldon had said that he forgave them, but she hadn't. Everyday there was less Sheldon and more robot. She didn't know what she would do if one day he would forever get lost in his mind.

She felt tears sting her eyes and quickly blinked them back. There was a time and place to confront Leonard on the subject, but not now. Not with Sheldon asleep in his bed in the other room.

"Leonard, he's been working late a lot this week. I just don't want him to get himself sick. I mean, haven't you noticed how late he's been out? Aren't you worried?"

"Come on, Penny," he sighed. "It's only been a couple nights and he hasn't been eating lunch with us for awhile."

"Wait." She jerked and looked at him. "He hasn't been eating lunch? What the hell, Leonard! And you still think that there is nothing wrong?"

"Well, we assume he eats lunch, y'know, just not with us."

He seemed flustered and it served him right. Sheldon was his best friend, he could, at least, check on him once in awhile to make sure he was still alive.

"Alright, Leonard." She suddenly felt very tired and didn't want to argue with him right now. After all, she had to get up in a couple hours for her shift and she wanted to spend them sleeping.

"Um, okay." He couldn't help but feel like he was being dismissed.

He totally was.

"Goodnight, Penny." He stood up and made his way back to his room.

"Night." She grumbled after him.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The smell of coffee and bacon woke her up the next morning. God, she hadn't had bacon since...well since she almost burned her kitchen down three weeks ago. Sitting up in the couch, with her blanket now balled at her feet, she stretched and shuffled her way to the kitchen. Sheldon had his back to her, still in his pajamas (the green and black plaid ones) while he cooked at the stove.

He turned to look at her just as she sat in one of the stools. His face was neutral. "Good morning, Penny."

She wondered if he was mad at her for last night. "Good morning, Sheldon." She tried to sound cheery, but it was just too early for her.

"It is surprising to see you up before eleven a.m." He gave her a small smile over his shoulder and quickly turned back to his task.

Her heart began to beat a little faster when she saw his smile. It had been awhile since she had seen one from him and she quite liked the fact that she was the recipient of one now.

"I took the liberty of starting the coffee machine for you. I had no idea when you would awaken so I figured I should have it ready for you."

Did he just say the magic word coffee? He did. She just wanted to wrap her arms around him but she knew she would probably freak out. It was also too early for one of those too.

"Oh my God, Sheldon, thank you." Thank you." She practically ran to the counter to grab a mug and pour her some of the heavenly black liquid. He was such a freakin' lifesaver!

She inhaled the sweet aroma and turned around so her back was leaning against the counter top. She was only a few feet from Sheldon now. Taking a tentative sip and she looked over at her neighbor. "So how did you sleep, sweetie?"

"Even though I did not achieve my full eight hours of sleep, the fault being my own." He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "But I'm surprised to find myself feeling fully recharged this morning."

"That's great, honey." She smiled at him. "Now maybe you should start going to bed at a decent hour from now on."

"I will consider it, if I do not have any work that I have to attend to."

"Sheldon." She was ready for an argument.

"Penny," he interrupted her and offered her a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon. "Would you like some breakfast?"

Damn him for using food as a way to distract her, but she didn't know when was the last time she actually had a good breakfast. So, not one for passing up from free food, especially if Sheldon was giving it to her without one of his infamous lectures, she gladly took the plate from him and sat down.

"Thank you, sweetie." She grabbed a fork and dug in.

"You are welcome, Penny." He made himself a plate and sat down in the other stool, which was next to her.

They were so close his arm brushed against hers, yet he didn't move. She found this odd Sheldon-like behavior but she found his presence comforting.

"I originally was making breakfast for Leonard and I but, seeing as he isn't up yet I figured you would better utilize the leftovers."

She made sure she had no food in her mouth when she spoke. "Well, it's his lost because this is delicious." She gently nudged him. "Who knew you could cook, Moonpie."

He glared at her. "Penny, don't call me, Moonpie. Only MeeMaw can call me Moonpie."

She had heard that same speech probably a hundred times; she chose to ignore it and still called him Moonpie whenever she felt like it.

Finishing the last of her breakfast, she placed the plate and now empty mug in the sink, knowing that even if she did wash them Sheldon would just rewash them anyway.

"Well, I have to get going. I have an early shift to get ready for." She placed a gently hand in his arm, heart beating fast again when he didn't shrug it off. "Thank you for the breakfast, Sheldon."

He turned and looked at her. "You are welcome, Penny."

At that moment, Leonard shuffled into the kitchen, tying his robe around his waist. "Something smells good."

"Yeah, Sheldon made breakfast."

He then noticed Penny. "Oh, hey Penny." He smiled. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept fine." Remembering the conversation, they had last night she was still somewhat mad at him. "Oh, and sorry I kind of ate your breakfast. It was delicious!" She retreated to the door and gave one last smile, this one aimed more at Sheldon than Leonard. "See you guys later!" And she closed the door behind her.

~S-P~

Whoever thought it would be a good idea to have a breakfast shift at the Cheesecake Factory, especially on weekends, should jump off a cliff! It was only a short shift, fours or so, but there were so few customers. Most of them had been old retired people and since it was just only breakfast the tips she received were very small.

Seriously, there was no point in a breakfast shift. At all.

Before she grabbed her stuff to leave she stopped in the kitchen and asked the cook, a man named Mike, to make her a Barbeque Bacon Cheeseburger with everything on the side.

Shaking his head, he smiled at her request. "Damn, Penny, you're starting to sound like that crazy guy that comes here every Tuesday."

She wanted to call back. "He's not crazy his mother had him tested." Knowing that would be exactly what Sheldon would have said if he was there. But instead, she just laughed along with him and thanked him when he handed her the Styrofoam take-out container.

She climbed in the car, grumbled at her 'Check Engine' light, and rubbed the dashboard as if it was a dog. "Don't worry I'll get you checked out one of these days." Then finally, Sheldon would be off her back.

The drive to the university wasn't a long one and she had spent of the time jamming out to the catchy pop tunes on the radio.

Driving into the parking lot by the science building, she found, to her irritation, there was no open parking space. But then something caught her eye in the employee parking lot. Smiling to herself, she found that it was Sheldon's spot.

Hey, he wasn't going to be using it anytime soon.

She parked in his spot and walked into the building. She was surprised to see no one walking around. Glancing at her phone, she saw that it was probably lunchtime and everyone was probably in the cafeteria.

She had only been here once before and she sure as hell didn't remember where Sheldon's office was. She knew where the cafeteria was and she supposed she could go in there and see if Leonard knew where his office was. But she knew he would probably ask too many questions and tell her not to worry about Sheldon.

And the less she saw of Howard the better.

"Woxanne?"

She stopped in her tracks. She remembered the voice and the annoying man attached to it.

"Penny, actually." Turning to face him, she bared her teeth in a smile. "Could you show me where Sheldon's office is?"

"Coopew? Youw hewe for Coopew?" Kripke shook his head in disbelief. "Nevew thought I'd see the day."

"Hey, kind of in a hurry here!"

She actually wasn't, but Sheldon's food was cooling by the second and she didn't want to hear him complain if his food wasn't up to the right temperature.

"Fowwow me."

He led her down some corridors and found that if she had looked harder she would have found it in no time.

"Thank you." She said to Barry as a way of dismissing him.

He walked away, in shock, still not believing that 'Coopew' had a hot blonde visiting him at work. What was the world coming to?

Penny looked up at his door and read the inscription that was there, Dr. Sheldon Cooper. PhD. Deciding she would be funny and tease him a little but she started to knock.

*Knock knock knock*

"Sheldon!"

*Knock knock knock*

"Sheldon!"

He opened at the second round of knocks. He looked slightly irritated, but she saw a flash of amusement in his eyes.

"Penny, what-"

She held up a finger to stop him. "I haven't finished knocking, Sheldon."

He rolled his eyes and waited for her to finish.

*Knock knock knock*

"Sheldon!"

She gave him a smug look. "Now, I'm done." And she waltzed past him and entered his office without an invitation.

"Penny, what are you doing here?" He was still standing at the open door, unsure if he should shut it or just leave it open. "If you're looking for Leonard's office it's-"

"I don't want to go to Leonard's office." In fact, I don't really want to see his face at the moment.

Deciding that she was probably going to remain in his office, he shut the door. If he was being truthful with himself he found that he actually didn't mind that she had interrupted him at work. Now if it had been Leonard, or worse, Howard…

"I brought you lunch." She happily held up a bag with the Cheesecake Factory's logo on it.

"I'm not hungry." He said stoically.

Brushing past her, he reached for his marker and went back to work on his whiteboard. It didn't last long. His vision was soon full of blonde hair and angry, green eyes.

"Sit!"

This demand said with an aggressive point at his desk chair.

"Penny," his tone was an irritating one. "I am fully aware of the fact that you are a female- a very bossy one- you are not my mother, who is equally bossy; therefore I do not have to listen to you."

He tried to peer around her to get a better look at his whiteboard.

"Could you please move? I would very much like to get back to my work."

She didn't move. Of course, she didn't. If anything, she set her feet down more firmly in front of him.

"Nope." She said, popping the 'p'.

He glared at her and she just glared right back.

"Leonard told me you haven't eaten with the guys in awhile." She pinched his side. He yelped. "You can't afford to skip meals, Moonpie."

"Don't call me Moonpie, only Meemaw can call me that."

"Oh, yeah? Well, how would your Meemaw feel if she found out her little nummy nummy wasn't eating right?"

He narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't."

Taking out her phone, she waved it in front of him. "I would." She smirked. "I have your mom's number on speed dial. I'm sure she wouldn't mind giving me Meemaw's number."

He continued to glare at her.

She made a show of hitting a button and holding the phone to her ear.

"It's ringing!"

It really wasn't. She just wanted to scare him and by the looks of it, it was working. With a defeated sigh, he sat down in his chair.

He didn't like being bested.

Once again, the smug look was back on her face. She slipped her phone back in her purse and slid the bag towards him.

He eyed it suspiciously.

"I didn't know if you had a routine thing for lunch so I brought you something I knew you liked."

He had already taken out the Styrofoam container to reveal his cheeseburger with everything on the side. Just as he liked it.

"Penny, I'm afraid that it is not up to a suitable temperature; therefore I cannot eat it."

"Oh no. Don't even start, mister." She laid her hands flat on his desk and leaned into his personal space. He leaned away, eyes wide.

"It would have been perfect temperature if we hadn't had that little tète a tète earlier." She walked over to the only other chair in his office. "It also didn't help when Kripke just stood there and stared at me when I asked where your office was-"

"Excuse me?" He interrupted her. "Did you say Kripke?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I did, Mr. Vulcan-hearing."

He groaned and almost dropped the burger he had reluctantly taken a bite out of.

"What's wrong, Sheldon?" She was kind of worried now. Did the cheeseburger get him sick? Code Milky Green?

Before he could answer, someone knocked on his door.

Dear Lord, was he going to get anything done today?

Sighing he rose up from his seat and answered the door. He opened it just enough so only his lanky body could fit.

"Hey, buddy." The voice was unmistakably Leonard's. "We, uh, we missed you at lunch today."

"Leonard," he said in his straightforward way. "I have not eaten lunch in the cafeteria for the past ten days and this is the first time you have decided to 'check up' on me."

"We didn't want to bother you. You've been working a lot lately, and-"

"So, where is she?" This was Howard. "Come on, Kripke said you had a total babe visit you in your office."

So that was why they were all here. They had caught word of a woman who was visiting Sheldon, just as they had with Missy. They hadn't really cared about Sheldon's absence; they were most likely enjoying it.

A year ago, she would have never thought Leonard was this way. If there were a woman involved, especially a hot one, he would always pick her over his best friend. She used to think he was too nice to do that, but she had seen it first hand more than once.

Poor Sheldon. These were the only people he had found a kinship with and they had not once looked in on him or offered him their company. Well, he had her.

She continued listening to the conversation at the door.

"I do not know what you are talking about, Wolowitz. Now, if you would excuse me I would like to get back to my work." He moved to shut the door, but Howard stopped him.

He surprising had some strength in those scrawny arms.

"Come on, we know you're lying. Just let me see her, we can share if you want.' He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Having enough Penny stood up, rolled her eyes and pushed Sheldon over so she could stand in the doorway, too.

"P-Penny." Leonard's jaw dropped. "What are you doing here? Did Sheldon call you to bring him something?"

"No." She was irritated. It was true Sheldon did ask a lot of things from her, but there was more to their friendship. It made her mad when Leonard always assumed the worst from his roommate.

"I just brought him some lunch, since apparently he hasn't been eating any for awhile. You all should now that, right? Since you are his friends and everything."

She glared at each of them and was satisfied to see that they all looked ashamed. Well, everyone, except Howard. He seemed unfazed by her glare; his eyes hadn't left her.

Instead, he sidled up to her and gave her one of his creepy grins.

"How about you let Sheldon eat his lunch and I'll show you around the University." Once again, his eyebrows waggled.

"That sounds like a great idea, Howard!" She said brightly.

He looked hopeful. "Really?"

"Howard," said Sheldon. "Even though you only have a Masters degree your inferior mind show know that was sarcasm." He looked at penny for confirmation. 'Right, Penny?"

She smiled. "Very good, sweetie."

"I'm three for thirteen this month."

"Hmm, I think we should get back to work." Leonard spoke up when the silence began to get awkward. "See you guys later."

They all retreated down the hallway.

Penny smirked at their retreating backs and stepped back into the office so Sheldon could finally shut the door.

With a heavy sigh, he sat back down in his chair. "Sometimes I wish they could act like they can control their libidos." He looked forlornly at his cheeseburger. "Now because of their pointless visit I can no longer enjoy my Barbeque Bacon Cheeseburger."

"Honey, I'm sure it's fine.' She took her own seat and resisted the urge to put her tired feet on his desk.

It had been a long morning and she didn't want to hear Sheldon lecture about how many germs there were on a human foot.

"Penny, it's cool to the touch!" He whined.

She wanted him to eat, but was definitely not willing to back to her job to get him another cheeseburger.

"Does the cafeteria have a microwave? I could go and warm it up for you."

"Yes, it does, but the germs and other bacteria that must be growing in it." He shuddered at the thought.

With a tired sigh, she held out her hand. "Give me some paper towels and disinfectant. I'll clean it out before I put your food in."

He instantly brightened and started looking through his drawers.

Sometimes it was hard being friends with a Whackadoodle.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

With stuffing the cleaning supplies in her purse, she hoped it would help ward off some of the weird looks she had been receiving once she had stepped foot out of Sheldon's office. Now walking down to the cafeteria, she still felt the curious glances of the other scientists, professors and the occasional grad student. She supposed it didn't help that she was still wearing her Cheesecake Factory uniform. This one in particular sported a large ketchup stain on the skirt.

Sighing in relief she was glad to find the cafeteria empty when she finally reached it. She didn't need anyone to witness her cleaning out the microwave. She knew she should have dragged Sheldon clean-freak ass down here to clean it himself but he was too busy with his work and she figured that after last night she could let him have a few moments of peace.

Scrubbing away the remains of who knew what she deemed the microwave clean (her kind of clean, not Sheldon's. Lord knew she could never get it that clean) and slid the Styrofoam container inside and set the timer. He, of course, had given her the exact amount of seconds for his food to be heated properly. So what was a few extra seconds?

Plus, she was thirsty and she was going to visit that vending machine she had passed when she left Sheldon's office. So the few extra seconds in the microwave would help keep his food at the correct temperature for the few minutes she would be stopped in front of the vending machine.

Taking the now warm Styrofoam container out of the microwave she made her made her way back to Sheldon's office, stopping at the vending machine like she planned. Groping around with one hand, she managed to open her purse, pushed past the cleaning supplies and pulled out some money. Being a waitress for more than five years had taught her to become deft with one hand and she had prevented many a spill because of it.

Just as she bent down to retrieve her Vitamin Water she heard the door, next to the vending machine, open and two well-dressed men stepped out, one looking vaguely familiar. They had their backs to her and had not noticed her standing there. She was about to walk around them when Leonard's name caught her attention.

"Dr. Mueller, I can assure you that Dr. Hofstadter is the perfect candidate. It is true he hasn't shown much advancement in his work; it is very reliable. Dr. Cooper, on the other hand." The taller man turned to close his door.

"Dr. Gablehouser," said the shorter, gray-haired man. "I have known Dr. Cooper since he first stepped foot in my University when he was a boy." He also had a heavy German accent. "I believe that what happened in his Arctic expedition was not his fault and he fully believed that he had found the Higgs Boson Particle. I still think he would be the best choice."

So, Dr. Gablehouser wanted to pick Leonard over Sheldon for whatever he had planned, just because he was reliable. Sheldon had worked his ass off these last few weeks and everyone knew he was smarter than Leonard. He deserved it more than anyone and if that stupid can opener incident hadn't happened she knew he would be the most reliable person in the whole God-damn University!

It just wasn't fair; those boys had done more damage to Sheldon's career than they had thought, not like they cared though. If he never received his Nobel Prize because of this she would personal hogtie and castrate each one of them.

The two men turned and finally saw her. She lifted her hand in a wave, smile plastered on her face.

"Oh, hello, miss." Dr. Gablehouser was the first to speak and he was all but leering at her. Very professional.

"Hi." It was the only thing she thought to say. Way to go Penny, show them how smart you are!

"Are you here for someone?" It seemed the other man was completely forgotten as he talked to her. She wanted to cover herself up when his eyes began to rove over her body.

"Yes, actually. I'm here for Sheldon." She lifted up the container. "I brought him lunch. I'm Penny, by the way."

"I'm Dominik Mueller." The other man held out his hand and she shook it. "So, are you acquainted with Dr. Cooper? Girlfriend, perhaps?"

She felt her face heat up. "N-No, I'm just a friend."

Dominik's blue eyes crinkled in the corners as he smiled. "That is something you are not happy about."

He thought she liked Sheldon? Ha! But she took one look at Dr. Gablehouser and she knew she had to say something to get him off her scent.

Time to put her acting to good use.

"No, I'm not." She looked away. "But he is so into his work that he barely notices me." Time for some water works.

She felt a tear escape her eye. "I've been in love with him since I moved in across the hall. But his first and only love will always be science." She sniffled.

Why the hell was she not getting any call backs? She was a natural!

"My dear," Dominik placed a kind hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure he will see you for the beautiful woman you are."

She gave him an unsure smile; well at least she hoped she did. "Thank you."

"Uh-hmm." Dr. Gablehouser cleared his throat. "Dr. Mueller, if we don't leave now we'll be late to our meeting."

"Oh, yes. It was nice to meet you, Penny." He stepped away from her. "Don't lose hope."

"I won't!" She smiled, this time a real one. He was such a kind man and she waved as the pair walked away.

She knew right away she did not care for Dr. Gablehouser, she knew Sheldon didn't either, but Dr. Mueller she liked.

Heading back to Sheldon's office she knew that her little act back there was probably going to come back and bite her in the ass but now, she was just focused on getting Sheldon his food in time so she wouldn't have to make another trip back to the cafeteria.

~S-P~

She walked into Sheldon's office to find him sitting in desk chair, chin in hand, as he stared at his whiteboard. He barely acknowledged her when she placed his food in front of him and plopped down in her own seat.

"Did you heat it up for the correct time?" He asked, now facing her.

She unscrewed her drink and took a sip before answering. "Yep."

"Hm, very well. Thank you, Penny."

"You're welcome, sweetie."

Watching him eat she debated if she should tell him of the conversation she had heard earlier, knowing that he would get angry if he learned that his boss wanted to choose Leonard over him for something. Oh, God, who knew what that, would do to him. She probably would never see him because he would always be here.

Nope, she would keep it to herself.

"Penny." He called her name and took her out of her thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Do you plan on staying here for the duration of my work day?" He was now finished with his food and had thrown the container away.

He had obviously been hungry.

"Um…sure. If you don't mind."

"Very well." He sighed. "I ask that you do not try to engage me in idle conversation. This is my job and I am getting paid to work." He smirked, hands clasped behind his back as he looked at her.

"Okay." She glanced at his bookshelf. "Can I read one of your books?"

"Penny." His head cocked downward so he could look down at her. "I am a man of science; therefore my books all consist of some aspect of science. There is no romance novel or other such drivel among those shelves."

Rolling her eyes, she made her way to the bookshelf. "Is that a yes, Mr. Man-of-Science?"

"Very well. But please keep them in the same condition that they are now." He went back to work on his whiteboard and tuned her out.

Well, this looks interesting. She pulled out a thin book and read the title. Hmm, I wonder if this is the same as that movie with Tom Cruise.

She shrugged and moved to sit down. Only one way to find out.

~S-P~

Penny was sucked out of her world of aliens and England when someone knocked on the door. Glancing over at Sheldon she figured he hadn't heard, so engrossed he seemed to be in his work, so she stood up and opened the door.

Leonard stood there, startled to see she had answered the door. He gave her a crooked smile as he played with his fingers.

"Hey, Penny, you're still here."

She leaned against the door. "Yup."

"Um, well, it's three and usually Sheldon and I go home at this time. Is he ready to go?"

She turned her head, still seeing Sheldon staring at his whiteboard. "I don't think so. Hey, look, you go on and I'll take him home when he's ready." Which would be in a few hours, whether he liked it or not. Last time she checked he wasn't getting paid over time.

"Okay. Will you be coming over for Chinese, later?" He looked hopeful and it took all her willpower to not roll her eyes.

"Yeah, count me in."

"Great!" His smile grew bigger. "So, I'll see you then." He waved at her and walked back down the hall.

She shut the door, sat back into her seat and got back to reading. She was surprised to find herself actually enjoying this little book.

Who said science-fiction was boring?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

…And as it flew it rained down darkness upon the land. [1].

Penny flipped the page to find, to her surprise, that she was at the end of book one of the book she now held in her hand. Glancing at her phone, she found that it had only been an hour and a half since she had started the book and now she was more than halfway through.

Saying she was proud of herself would have been an understatement. She could not remember the last time she had finished a novel, probably not since high school. Even then, doing more than skim the pages was something she rarely did. She had been more concerned with boys, friends and parties back then.

Sheldon would be happy that she seemed to take a liking to one of his science-y books.

Speaking of Sheldon, he was still statue-like in front of his board when she last checked up on him. That had been about an hour or so ago. She hadn't heard anything from his side of the office; looking at him now she had to stifle a giggle. He was now sitting at his desk, head buried in his arms, fast asleep.

And he had tried to tell her he didn't need his sleep; that little liar.

"Sheldon, honey. Wake up." She gently shook his shoulder.

His head jerked up, eyes now wide open. "Danger, danger!" He cried, looking around him wildly. His eyes finally landed on Penny and started to focus.

"Yes, Penny?"

She couldn't help but smile at his slightly confused look. "Sweetie, I think it's time we head home."

Looking longingly at his white board, with the numerous equations covering it, he decided it would be best if he listened to Penny and agreed to leave with her.

She grabbed her purse and looked at him. "Can I borrow this?" She held up the book she was reading.

He looked at her with surprise. "Ah, War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. I'm surprised, Penny, that you have taken a liking to it."

She shrugged. "I know it's not a Cosmo magazine; I think it's interesting so far."

He followed her out the door, closing and locking it behind him. "I suppose you have seen the most recent film of the same name."

"Yup." And to get a raise out of him, she added. "Tom Cruise was pretty hot in that one."

A smile of triumph lit up her face when she heard him sigh in annoyance. Sometimes it was just too easy.

"I hope you are aware," he was now walking alongside her, one arm hanging by his side and the other clutching the strap of his messenger bag. "That that movie is only loosely based off the book."

"Oh damn, and here I was thinking that this was the novel adaptation of the movie; no wonder Dakota Fanning wasn't on the cover." She glared at him. "I'm not stupid, Sheldon."

He hmphed. "I never said you were."

Their fingers brushed as they walked, and she wondered, for a fleeting second, how he would react if she just grabbed his hand.

The thought made her heart beat faster and she slowed her pace so she remained a half-step behind. He hadn't seemed to notice and they continued in silence.  
\----------------------------------------  
When they reached her car her phone began to vibrate with an incoming call. In her haste to answer it, she almost dropped it.

She cursed her shaking hands. She didn't know why she why she was so nervous. Okay, she did. While they had walked in silence through the hallways of the science department, her mind began to wonder. To say most of her thoughts were about Sheldon would be an understatement, because all her thoughts were about him.

After they had brushed hands she began to think about him touching her. Kissing her. She had never thought these things about Sheldon before. It was Sheldon for crying out loud! She would look at him as they walked and whenever his gaze met hers she quickly skirted her eyes away. She felt like a teenager with a crash and was now trying to sneak glances at him from across the room.

All she wanted to do was get home and lay down.

But first she had to answer her phone. It was Leonard.

"Hey, Leonard." She tried to blindly place her key in the lock on her car door as she adjusted her phone on her shoulder; after the third try she gave up and looked down.

The whole time Sheldon stood patiently by the passenger door. A first for him. And if parking in his spot bothered him; he didn't say anything. In fact he was being oddly silent as well.

She couldn't dwell on him though Leonard had begun speaking.

"Oh, hey Penny. I, uh, we were just wondering if you've managed to drag Sheldon kicking and screaming out of his office yet?"

She rolled her eyes. "He actually came willingly. He's tired and hungry; hopefully you have the food ready."

Sheldon was looking at her; knowing she had been talking about him. He still said nothing though.

"Yea, I just sent Howard and Raj to go and pick it up."

'Okay, cool. See you when we get back."

"Okay, bye."

After hanging up with Leonard, she placed her phone back in her purse and started her car. She glanced at Sheldon, sitting silently in his chair and decided to try and make conversation.

"I hope you don't mind that I parked in your spot."

"Of course not, Penny. I don't use it and if you plan on bothering me at work again then you can park there."

When he said the last part he didn't sound like he was annoyed, like Penny thought he would. She glanced at him briefly; did he not mind that she visited him at work? Did he like that she had?

Her heart began to beat just a little bit faster and she had to quickly shake those thoughts away. Come on, Penny. Stop being desperate for any sign that he might like you.

"So, should I get use to your visits, Penny? Should we make a routine of it?"

Was it her imagination but did he sound hopeful?

"Hmm, I don't know about a routine. How about when I feel like visiting you I will."

"Penny, you can hardly just show up at my place of work whenever you feel like it!" He looked appalled.

"How about I call before I stop by?" If I remember too.

He nodded slowly, thinking about it. "All right. That's acceptable."

She beamed.  
\--------------------------------------------  
They arrived at their apartment building the same time Howard and Raj returned with the food. Raj waved at them and Howard looked like he was going to say something inappropriate to her but Raj grabbed his arm and dragged him inside.

Raj was such a sweetheart; when he was sober. Drunk was another story.

"I hope they got my order right." He had walked up right beside her and she hadn't noticed.

"I'm sure they did. I mean, you order the same thing every week."

"I would like to believe you, Penny." He held open the door for her; she smiled her thanks. "But you are the only person I can trust to get my food order correct."

"Aw, sweetie." She looked at him over her shoulder as they ascended the stairs. "It's probably because I'm your waitress."

"No." He seemed thoughtful. "I think it's because you are the only person that seems to care if they do or do not get my order right." Instead of looking at her, he watched his feet.

This was something to dwell on. Leonard had been his roommate a couple years before she had met them and he still got his order wrong; her first time she got everything right, down to the soy sauce. Did that mean she cared more? It was just food after all.

"I just know how peculiar you are about your food." She stood outside 4A and waited for Sheldon to get his key out.

"Yes, I suppose. But Leonard knows that too."

He just doesn't care.

They opened the door just as Howard, Leonard and Raj sorted out the takeout on the little coffee table in front of them.

"Hey, guys!" Leonard peered over his glasses and smiled at them; well, it directed more at her.

"Hello, Leonard. Howard. Raj." Sheldon greeted each one and then went to his desk to drop off his bag.

Penny went straight to the middle cushion. Her Spot.

Grabbing her Chinese container, she immediately began to dig in.

'So, what are you guys watching?"

Leonard looked sheepish as he talked. "Well, we didn't know when you guys would be back so we started season one of Babylon 5."

They all turned their heads when they heard Sheldon's groan from the kitchen. Leonard rolled his eyes and continued.

"We're about to watch the sixth episode. "

"Interesting." She said this in a tone; indicating it actually wasn't interesting. Well, if this was what her boys wanted to watch she supposed she could stay. Her limit was one episode, though, any more she would probably fall asleep in her food.

Some of the stuff the guys watched was interesting; others…were not. And she had to agree with Sheldon on this one; this was one of the things that were not.

Sheldon walked over, instead of sitting at His Spot, he grabbed his food and headed toward his room. Neither of the guys gave him a second look, but she got up and followed him.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to eat out here?"

"Penny." He sighed. "I'd rather not sit through and watch that drivel; so I'm going to eat in my room."

Well, she didn't want to watch it either. If Sheldon wasn't, then neither was she.

"Um, do you want to come over to my place and eat? We can watch a movie or something."

It took him a moment to think things over; glancing at the door to his room and at the door to the hallway.

"What movie do you have in mind? If it's The Lake House then I would rather spend the duration of my meal in my room."

"It won't be that, I promise. I don't know what we can watch." She shrugged. "We can figure that out when we get there."

Actually she already had a movie in mind and she had to turn and head for the doorway to hide her smirk.

He followed after; ignoring the looks the guys were now giving them.  
\---------------------------------------  
She opened her apartment door, glad that she had thought to clean it during the week. It also helped that she had hardly been in it for the past; either she was working or she was next door.

Looking at Sheldon and gauged his reaction; he looked pleased. This time she didn't hide her smirk.

"Okay, have a seat." She went to the fridge, grabbed two bottles of water (AND she had gone shopping recently; Penny Dixon for the win!) and set one in front of him.

She went in her room and came back out; a movie in her hand.

"How about some aliens and Tom Cruise?" She showed him the cover; smiling as he rolled his eyes.

"I know it's not like the book but it still scares the crap out of me. I went to see it in the theatres with a friend in Nebraska and I swear I almost started crying."

Once again he rolled his eyes. "Penny, you do know that no part of this movie is real."

"Yes, Sheldon, I know." It was her turn for an eye roll. "If you don't want to watch it, we don't have too."

"Yes, I know it is no where near what the splendid H.G. Wells wrote I do not dislike the movie and I quite enjoy the visual effects and acting is average; though that little girl's screams irritate me."

"You and me both. Now," Hand on her hip, she gave him a pointed look. "Is that a yes?"

"Yes."

"Good." She slid the DVD in the player and took her spot back on the couch; next to Sheldon. "Oh, and when we're done eating I'm turning the lights off."

"I presume so you can reenact how you first viewed the film."

"Hell, yes."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Penny loved watching movies, almost as much as she wanted to be in them. Movies could take her to worlds she could only dream about.

When she was little, she would pop in her favorite VHS and act out all the scenes with her favorite characters. That was when she knew she was destined to be an actress.

Too bad destiny had a way of screwing people over. If her life was a movie, it wouldn't do well in the box offices and people would not line up to go see it. Hell, if her life was a movie she probably would be rejected to play herself in it. Too mid-western, they would say. Too short, too skinny, not skinny enough. The list would go on and on.

Some days, she just wanted to give up, pack up her stuff and move back home to Nebraska. She was no closer to winning that Oscar than she had been six years ago when she had first moved here with Kurt. Her job at the Cheesecake Factory was starting to wear on her. The long hours on her feet, the patrons from Hell and getting minuscule tips just weren't cutting it anymore. More often than not, her customers weren't all bad but it seemed that lately everyone was in a bad mood and they were always seated in her section.

The highlight of her day, after a nice hot shower of course, was walking across the hall to join her boys in apartment 4A. The feel of her cushion in the middle seat and a container full of hot food, nearly made her forget about the day she had. The company usually helped with that too, especially whenever Sheldon was involved.

Lately, though, Sheldon hadn't been there and her time in 4A seemed to be a little duller. There was no one to verbally spar with her on the littlest things. On Halo Night, she had no one to blow up. Well, there was always Howard, Raj and Leonard, but that had gotten old real quick.

On Anything Can Happen Thursday, the guys had gone out to a bar but she didn't have a tall physicist to bug next door.

Now, on Friday, she was glad to have him sitting next to her on her couch, eating Chinese food and watching a movie. Things were starting to feel more normal. She missed him. Today had been a rare treat. She had spent most of her day with the beautiful mind of Dr. Sheldon Cooper.

Two years ago, she would have thought herself crazy to want to hang around him. He was a big bag of crazy, still was, but he had toned it down a little. Well for her, anyway. He had finally accepted her as a part of his life. That had been hard for him, she knew, but she felt honored to be considered one of his friends.

"Penny," his breath tickled her hair as he leaned down to whisper in ear. She nearly jumped out of her skin at his sudden closeness. "We are both done with our meals. Would you like me to get up and turn off the lights?

Staring down at the container in her hands, she was surprised to find it empty. When had she finished eating her food? Looking up at the TV, she found she had missed a good chunk of the movie. Ray and his family were on the road.

"Penny?" Sheldon spoke again. This time he paused the movie and shifted his body so that he was looking at her fully. "Are you all right? Would you like me to stop the movie and allow you to rest?"

"N-No," she finally managed to spit out. Why had she even had trouble speaking in the first place? He had only asked a simple question. "I was just in my own little world, sweetie. You can turn off the lights, if you want."

"Okay." He stood up, and then turned to her with one elegant hand outstretched. "I can take your garbage, if you would like me to dispose of it."

"Um, sure." She handed him her empty container. "Thanks, Sheldon." She gave him a bright smile and he returned it with just the corners of his mouth barely lifting. His eyes looked weary.

Penny watched as he dumped their garbage into her garbage can and then, as he walked across the room to flip the light switch.

"Penny," his voice came from the darkness near her door and grew closer as he spoke. "This was quite unsafe. I could trip over any number of things and receive a serious injury." Suddenly, he was in his seat beside her, unharmed.

Penny rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't have tripped over anything, Sheldon. I cleaned my apartment the other day."

"Hm, I did notice the slight cleanliness of your living room." He reached over to the coffee table and straightened out a stack of magazines that were lying there. "But of course, there is always room for improvement."

Penny knew that she should get annoyed with him, but he was starting to sound more and more like himself and that was a relief.

"Can we finish the movie now, Sheldon, or are you going to nitpick through everything in my apartment?"

Sheldon placed his hands in his lap. "Very well. Start the movie, Penny. We'll deal with this mess at a later date."

Penny rolled her eyes again, but patted his leg with affection (he only flinched slightly.). "Oh, Moonpie, I have missed you."  
\----------------------------------------  
The rest of the movie was viewed in silence and Penny only caught herself once trying to hide behind in Sheldon's arm. The movie didn't freak her out as much as it had all those years ago, but there were still parts that sit shivers down her spine.

Once the end credits rolled, Sheldon moved to turn the lights on and headed for the door.

"Well, Penny, I've enjoyed this time together but it is nearing the time for me to go to bed and I still have my nightly rituals to perform." He stood ramrod straight, with his arms behind his back.

Penny smiled. "I had fun, too, sweetie."

He nodded and opened the door to leave her apartment. "Goodnight, Penny. I hope you have pleasant REM cycles."

"I hope you have sweet dreams, too, and I'll see you tomorrow."

Sheldon looked over his shoulder. "We are neighbors. It is almost guaranteed that we'll 'see' each other tomorrow at some point, Penny."

"Well, you're about to 'see' my foot up your ass, if you don't leave." She smiled sweetly.

This time Sheldon rolled her eyes. "Really, Penny, you and your threats of bodily harm astounds me."

"You love it anyway." She moved to the door and rested a hand on it.

"Penny!" He sputtered. "Now, why would I love your threats? Especially, if they are made towards me?"

"Goodnight, Sheldon." She closed the door on his face. Leaning against the closed to door, she sighed. He could be annoying and condescending, but Sheldon was still her Whackadoodle.  
\------------------------------------  
It was 8:13PM and Penny sat atop her washer as it cleaned her clothes. Sheldon was due down there any minute and she wanted to see his look of surprise when he saw that she was actually early for once.

Hopefully, he would show up. It had been two weeks since he had done his laundry at the correct time.

Two minutes later, Sheldon walked in dressed in his bright colors and plaid pants and in his hands was a full basket of his dirty clothes.

Raising his eyebrows slightly, he greeted her. "Hello, Penny."

"Hey, Sheldon!" She greeted back brightly. A wave of relief went through her when she saw him walk through that door. She hoped it meant that things were going back to normal and he wasn't going to be constantly working.

After loading his clothes in the washer and measuring out the correct amount of detergent, he turned and faced her. "I trust that you have had a satisfactory day."

Penny marked her page and set it down next to her. "Well, I had to work today so that wasn't so good, but when I came home I took a nice shower and marathoned Sex in the City until it was time for laundry night. How about you, Sheldon? Was your day satisfactory?" She crossed her legs at her ankles and looked at him expectantly.

"It was. I woke up at my usual time, made myself a bowl of cereal and sat down to watch Doctor Who. After that, I worked until lunch, in which I made myself a sandwich. Leonard, Howard and Raj went to a movie at a theatre of which I did not approve of. I was left to my own devices for supper and at 8:15 I came down here." Penny was surprised he hadn't run out of breath as he explained his day. "Oh, and Dr. Gablehouser called me this afternoon to inform me that he would like to have a meeting with me on Monday morning. Apparently a visiting professor from Germany will be there."

"Oh." That was when she remembered the conversation she had overheard the day before. "Do you know what it's going to be about?"

"No," she shook his head and looked perplexed. "He just told me that I better show up."

"I think I may have an idea." She bit her lip, a little unsure if she should tell him or not.

"Really? Please, tell me." He walked closer to her, so that now he stood in front of her. It only made her slightly nervous. He was so close his legs almost brushed hers.

"Well, when I was bringing your food back after re-heating it, Dr. Gablehouser stepped out of his office with another man and I heard Leonard's name, so I stopped to listen."

"Penny," he tsked. "Eavesdropping is rude."

She rolled her eyes. "Then, they said your name."

"Oh," he blinked. "Go on, then."

She smiled smugly. "That's what I thought. Anyways, Dr. Gablehouser mentioned Leonard and his work and how reliable it was. Dr. Mueller, the other guy, mentioned you and said that you would be a better candidate for whatever they have planned."

"Well, Dr. Gablehouser was right. Leonard's work is reliable; he should be picked for whatever this event is. "He turned from her and headed back towards his washers, which had beeped their completion, and went about transferring his wet clothes to dryers.

"What?" She jumped of the washer and was at his side in an instant. Was this really Sheldon Cooper? The man that always boasted of his work and brought other people's down?

"You heard me, Penny." He didn't look at her.

"I did and I can't believe it! Are you serious, right now? Is this a bazinga?"

"No, bazinga." He looked up at her, his blue eyes unreadable.

She grabbed his arm and was surprised when he didn't shrug it off. "What if this meeting is to tell you that they chose you?"

"What if it is to tell me that I was not chosen?"

"Stop playing devil's advocate!" She nearly screeched. "Dr. Mueller knows you, is impressed by you and I'm sure he told Dr. Gablehouser that you were the perfect choice."

"I guess we will see on Monday, won't we, Penny?" His voice lacked the confidence it usually held and his shoulders almost looked slumped in defeat.

So much for thinking things were going back to normal.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Blue eyes.

That was what she saw every time she closed her eyes. Not just any blue eyes, either, but the bright blue eyes of one of the smartest, if not the smartest, man in the world.

Sheldon Lee Cooper.

She didn't mind seeing his eyes in her dreams once in awhile. They were beautiful, even if half the time they were filled with arrogance superiority. These eyes troubled her. They were sad.

They were the eyes of a man defeated.

Flinging off the thick pink comforter, she crawled out of bed and headed towards the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. That hadn't been a good idea. The moment she placed the tea bag in her cup to steep, she thought of Sheldon and his sad blue eyes again.

"Ugh!" She grabbed the cup of tea and nearly dropped it on the floor when it scalded her hand. "Son of a bitch!" She cried and practically threw it in the sink and winced when it shattered.

All she wanted to do now was use her spare key next door and give Leonard a visit. It was Junior Rodeo time and he had gone long enough without any type of reprimand for what him and the guys had done to Sheldon.

*Knock knock knock*

"Penny." She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the knocking on her door.

*Knock knock knock*

"Penny." Why was he still up? It was way past his bedtime.

*Knock knock knock*

"Penny."

On his last knock, she took a deep breath and opened the door with a smile. It wavered when she took a look at his face.

There were dark circles under his eyes, his hair was greatly mused and the buttons on his pajama top were all buttoned wrong.

"Is there something wrong, sweetie?" She kept her hand on the doorknob and looked up at him. He looked exhausted.

"I'm fine, Penny." His voice sounded sleepy and more of his accent came through. She liked it. "I came over here because I didn't think you were. I heard glass breaking and I thought you might be in distress."

"Oh, about that." She smiled sheepishly. "I made myself some tea and grabbed the cup when it was still really hot and I dropped it." She wasn't going to tell him that she had thrown it into the sink.

His gaze moved to her feet and there was slight alarm in his eyes. "And you are walking around barefoot? Good Lord, Penny, you could have stepped on any one of those shards and become seriously injured."

"Relax, Moonpie. I dropped it in the sink, so all the shards have been contained." She smirked.

He must have been tired because he didn't even say anything about her using his precious Meemaw's nickname for him.

"Very well, then. I hope you are more careful in the future. I would not like to have to drive you to the hospital."

"Aw, you would drive for me?" She teased.

"Of course." He stood up straighter. "You wouldn't be able to drive yourself and I would not waste my time waking up Leonard to take you."

"Aw, you're so sweet!" She wanted to wrap her arms around his lanky body, but she didn't need him to freak out on her.

"I'm not cute." He sniffed. "I'm logical."

She smiled. "Like Spock?"

"Penny," his tone went into lecture mode. "You know that I try to model my life after Spock, so it would only make sense to be logical like he is." He yawned.

"Why don't you go to sleep, Sheldon? You look tired."

"It seems I am unable to achieve my REM sleep, tonight. I have been sitting in my spot watching pointless television for over an hour, hoping that I would get so bored I had no choice but to go to bed."

"Oh, honey." She spoke softly. "Would you like me to come over and sing 'Soft Kitty'?"

"Penny, you know that is only from when I'm sick. I'm not sick." He crossed his arms over his chest and tried to glare at her. It didn't look intimidating at all, especially with the circles under his eyes and his shirt still messed up.

"Well, insomnia is a kind of sick."

He rolled his eyes. "Very well. I don't it will help, but you can try if it makes you feel any better."

"It will." She smirked.

Sheldon sighed and turned from her, ready to head back to his own apartment and bed. She stopped him before he could take a step, though.

"Wait, Sheldon." She said and gently prodded him to turn around. "Let me fix your shirt. All the buttons are messed up."

He looked down at his shirt and jumped. "Oh good Lord!" He squeaked and moved to right them, but Penny beat him to it.

"Let me do it." She smiled and deftly unbuttoned all the buttons, only slightly disappointed to find that he was wearing a white undershirt underneath.

"Thank you, Penny." His gaze pierced her own and for a moment, she thought she had seen his eyes darken. No way. Sheldon didn't feel desire; he didn't have a 'deal'. However, she imagined those blue eyes, pupils wide with desire, desire for her, and she shivered.

"Are you cold?" He asked.

"N-No." She felt her face grow hot and quickly walked past him, so that he wouldn't notice her blush. "Come on, sweetie. Let me sing you your song, so you can finally get some sleep."  
\-----------------------------------  
With a satisfied smirk, Penny slowly backed out of Sheldon's room and closed the door softly. She hadn't even gotten through 'Soft Kitty' one time before he fell asleep.

Creeping back to her apartment, she was careful not to make any sounds in case she woke up Leonard. She really didn't feel like explaining to him why she was in their apartment at that hour. He'd probably tell her that she didn't have to do anything for Sheldon if she didn't want to.

The thought of Leonard made her mad. She knew deep down, he was a good guy but lately she was seeing another side of him. A side that didn't seem to want to help his friend cope with the damage done to his career. The damage he had created.

At least Sheldon had her to rely on.

Opening the door to her home, she glanced at the red flashing lights over her stove and cursed. It would be time for her to get up in only a couple hours and she had an audition in the morning and the lunch and dinner shift at work.

"Balls!" She growled and climbed into bed, hoping to make the most of the time she had left.  
\-----------------------------------------  
Reading over the script in her hand, for what felt like the hundredth time that day, she fidgeted in her seat and waited for her name to be called. She needed this part. She needed it so she could know that she wasn't totally a failed actress.

The part she was auditioning for was for the lead in a local play, written by a local writer. It was about a girl named Jennifer, Jenny for short, who grew up in Kansas, moved to New York to make it big on Broadway, got in with the wrong crowd and died tragically of a drug overdose. If this wasn't the part for her, then she didn't know what was.

It was practically a play about her life. Except, you know, the growing up in Kansas, moving to New York to make it big on Broadway and the dying tragically part. Even their names rhymed. Jenny. Penny. Hello! If this didn't scream her, then she didn't know what did.

A redheaded woman opened the door down the hall, face glued to the clipboard in front of her. "Penelope Dixon? You're up." She didn't even wait to see if anyone answered her and walked right back into the room.

Penny stood up, wiped her sweaty hands on her pants, took a deep breath and walked confidently to the audition room.

She was going to nail this!  
\----------------------------------------  
Oh God, had she nailed it or had she completely bombed it? They hadn't said anything to her besides a 'Thank you, for coming out.' and 'We'll call you if you get the part.' All she wanted to do was cry. This was her sixth audition this month and no one had called her back.

Why had she ever thought she could be an actress? All she was good at was waitressing, drinking and playing Halo. None of those things would get her further in life.

Pulling into the Cheesecake Factory parking lot, all she wanted to do was sob on her steering wheel, but her phone in her purse dinged with a text message.

Fumbling for it, she grabbed it and clicked on her new message. It was from Sheldon.

 _Hello, Penny._ Was all it read, but it still brought a smile to her face. For some reason, her day instantly brightened a little more.

 _Hey, Moonpie! :)_ She quickly texted back, then gathered her stuff and walked into work. It wasn't until she had gotten dressed in her uniform in the employee bathroom that he had replied back.

_Only Meemaw can call me 'Moonpie', Penny. You know this. I don't understand why I have to keep reminding you._

There was the old Sheldon. The Sheldon she was really starting to miss.

She quickly typed a message back.

_I know, sweetie, but I like calling you that! :) Can't you just make an exception for me? I am your best friend, after all. Right?_

His reply was quicker this time.

_No, Penny, do not call me that and yes, you are my best friend. Leonard has forfeited that role when he sabotaged my work in the Arctic._

Penny winced when she read the last line, but knew that what he said was true.

_I'm still very sorry for what he did._

There was five minutes until her shift officially started, but she didn't want to move from her spot by the bathroom. She wanted to drive home and give Sheldon a hug.

_There is no need for you to apologize, Penny. You did nothing wrong. Now, there was a reason for me to text message you and that was to ask how your audition went this morning. So. How was it? Did you 'nail' it?_

She didn't remember telling him about her audition today, but she figured she must have for him to ask about it.

_I don't know. :( I thought I did, but they didn't say anything when I left._

"Penny." A fellow waitress called from the kitchen. "Your shifts starting."

"Okay, I'll be there in just a minute." She wanted to finish this conversation with Sheldon or at least see what he had to say.

_I am sure you did fine, Penny. Now, I know your shift at work has started, so I will stop messaging you now. I'll see you when you get home. Maybe you can come over and watch Star Trek?_

She smiled. Of course, she would.

 _Sure, sweetie! :D_  
\-------------------------------  
It seemed like her shift just flew by and she was in her car driving home, pockets full of good tips. It probably helped that she hadn't stopped smiling all day. The director's of that play may or may not have liked her, but Sheldon had told her that she had done fine and that was enough for her.

Sheldon rarely told anyone that and she felt honored. And giddy.

She practically flew up the stairs to her apartment, stripped quickly in her bathroom and hopped in the shower. As she was rinsing the shampoo from her hair, she froze.

What if Leonard was over there, too? Well, of course, he was over there, but what if he was going to be watching TV with them? She wouldn't be responsible for her actions then, especially if he tried to flirt with her.

Flouncing through the door to 4A, she was relieved to just find Sheldon sitting in his spot.

"Where's Leonard?" She asked; too make sure he wasn't in the bathroom or something.

Sheldon looked up from the TV, a slight smile curving the edges of his mouth. He looked happy to see her. "Leonard was complaining of a headache earlier and went to bed."

"Cool." She plopped into her seat on the middle cushion, causing Sheldon to slightly bump into her. "It's just you and me, then."

"Yes." He looked at her strangely before focusing his attention on the TV.

"So, you said we were watching Star Trek. Are we talking The Original Series or one of the other series?" She looked up at him with a smile.

He leaned forward and grabbed something off the coffee table. "I was thinking we could watch the newest movie."

"Awesome! I love that movie!"

He stood up from his cushion and turned his body to look at her. "Really? I was unaware that you had seen it."

"Yep!" She popped the 'p'. "I saw it while you guys were in the Arctic."

"Ah, I see." He nodded and went to insert the disc into the DVD player. "I wish that I had been able to see it in movie theatres. I, instead, bought it the first day it came out and have watched it numerous times since."

Penny giggled. "Of course, you have! My favorite character is Spock. Who's yours?" She elbowed him teasingly and her smile grew when he didn't flinch from her touch.

"I would have to say Captain Kirk."

"Wait?" She stopped. "Really?"

"Bazinga!" He cried with a smile, not the 'kill batman' one either. One that lit up his face. Penny decided that she was going to try to get more smiles like that out of him. "My favorite character, of course, would be Spock, even though Zachary Quinto does not even come close to Leonard Nimoy in his rendition of my favorite Vulcan."

"I liked Leonard Nimoy's version better too."

Sheldon smiled proudly at her.

Penny. then, snuggled deeper into her cushion, eyes fixed on the screen. All thoughts of a possible horrible audition gone from her mind the moment one of Sheldon's long fingers hit play.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

That night, Penny went to bed with a smile on her face. After she and Sheldon finished watching Star Trek, he had popped in the first season of Star Trek: The Original Series. Penny had seen a few episodes here and there, but she had never watched them in order. She found herself enjoying them, even though she missed the Uhura/Spock relationship from the movie.

After two episodes, Sheldon looked at his watch and announced that it was time for him to go to bed.

She had pouted. "Do you really have too?" She forgot for a moment that this was Sheldon and he always adhered to his schedule. Well, except for nights when he decided his work was more important than sleep.

"Penny." He turned to her after he had carefully retrieved the disc from the DVD player and put it lovingly back into its case. "You know that I have work in the morning and I must go to bed at a proper time, so I that I can wake up and feel refreshed. Any deviances from this may cause my brain functions to be lessened and I can't have that while I'm at work."

"I know." She continued to pout. "But I'm not tired at all and I'm bored."

"I'm sorry, Penny. If it were the weekend, I would not have been adverse to watch a few more episodes of Star Trek with you."

"It's alright." She stood up and stretched. "I'll just go back to my apartment and see if there is anything good on TV. Night, Sheldon."

Her hand was on the doorknob when his voice stopped her.

"Penny, wait." She turned to face him and in his hand, he held a DVD case that wasn't Star Trek. ""If you don't wish to take your chances with what is on TV this time of night, I can let you borrow this." He held out the DVD case and she could make out the word Firefly. "You have to promise me, though, that you will take good care of this."

She walked back over to Sheldon and took the case gingerly in her hands. She had heard the boys talk about this show and how it been cancelled prematurely, but she had never seen an episode of it.

"I believe that you will find this TV series to be quite enjoyable." His hands went behind his back and he looked down at her. "There are only fourteen episodes, so it shouldn't take you long to view the series in its entirety."

"There's only fourteen episodes?" She flipped the case over to look at the back. "That's not a lot."

"Unfortunately, it was cancelled way too early, in my opinion. They did, however, make a movie after the series unfortunate demise and it helped clear up some of the plot points that were still left untold."

She nodded. "Well, that's good."

"You should let me know when you are done with the series, Penny. I would very much like to watch Serenity with you."

She smiled. "Of course!" Any time spent with Sheldon was all right in her book. "I'll let you know when I'm on the last episode and then we can plan accordingly."

"Sounds acceptable." He gave her one of his half smiles. "Now, I really must head to bed. Goodnight Penny. I hope you have pleasant REM cycles."

At the door again, this time she had it opened, she turned around and smirked. "Goodnight, Moonpie." Before he could protest, she was already opening the door to her apartment.

Once in her own apartment, she made herself a cup of tea and sat down to start the first episode. It was a longer episode and she found herself nodding off, not because the show was boring but because she was more tired than she had let on. So, she switched off the TV and told herself she would start the episode again tomorrow. It really had been interesting.

She carefully placed her empty mug in the sink, she was done to two now since she had broken one last night. Making her way to her room, she shed her clothes as she went and quickly threw on the first pair of pajama shorts and tank top she grabbed.

Then she settled herself under the covers. Today had been a good day. Sheldon had acted better, not quite his normal self, but better.

So, with a smile on her face, she fell asleep.  
\-------------------------------------------  
*Knock knock knock*

"Penny." She had to be dreaming, there was no way that Sheldon would be up at...3:30 in the morning.

*Knock knock knock*

"Penny." She rolled over and promptly fell out of bed. Her head hit her night table and the pain radiated through her school. Nope. She was definitely not dreaming. Sheldon was really knocking on her door.

It had better be for something important.

*Knock knock knock*

"Penny." She hurried to the door and opened it, before he could start another round.

Sheldon stood there dressed in his pajamas (the buttons were done up right this time), hair mussed as if he had just gotten out of bed, but his eyes looked alert and awake.

"Sheldon, is there something wrong?" She asked and leaned against her door. All she wanted to do, right now, was go back to sleep.

"I couldn't sleep."

"I figured that, sweetie." She sighed. "Would you like to come in?" She opened her door wider.

"Yes, I would." He stepped inside. "Thank you."

"Would you like me to make you some tea?" She headed towards the questions.

"No, thank you, Penny. I've already awaken at an hour you're not use too, I couldn't trouble you to make me some tea." He took a seat at his spot on her couch.

Her eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Alright." She shrugged and took a seat next to him. "Now. Tell me why you can't sleep."

He sighed. "Thoughts of my meeting with Dr. Gablehouser, tomorrow, keep going through my mind. I am not sure what to except when I walk into his office."

Penny placed a hand on his shoulder, happy that she could do this now without him flinching, and spoke softly to him. "I'm sure everything is going to be fine, Sheldon."

"How do you know?" He looked at her, his eyes weary.

"I just do, sweetie."

He turned and looked at her door. "Forgive me, Penny, if I tell you that your words don't reassure me."

She sighed and sank deeper into her couch. "Are you sure you don't want any tea? I bet it'll help you go to sleep."

"No, it's alright." Sheldon stood up and looked down at her. "I'm just going to have to find some way to quell these thoughts, so that I can at least get a few hours of sleep before work."

"Okay." She stood up and faced him. "I hope you can get some sleep, sweetie, and if you need me to sing Soft Kitty, just let me know."

"I will." He walked to the door and opened it. "Thank you, Penny." Then he was gone, shutting the door softly behind him.  
\-----------------------------------------  
It was a surprise when she found herself awake before eleven. Looking at her clock, she was even more surprised when she found out that the boys wouldn't have left for work yet. Throwing herself out of her bed, she rushed to the bathroom to run a quick brush through her hair and brushed her teeth.

She was up, might as well see the boys off. Especially Sheldon. She knew that he needed some kind of encouragement today, even if it was just a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Five minutes later, she burst into the boys' apartment without knocking. They should be use to that by now, she thought and headed right to the coffee maker.

"Good morning, Penny." Leonard smiled at her from his spot at the counter. It looked like he was having a breakfast of toast and was still in his pajamas.

"Morning, Leonard," she threw over her shoulder and started the maker. "Where's Sheldon? Is he up yet?"

"I'm right here, Penny." The man in question emerged from the hallway, his hair still damp from his shower. "And of course, I am up. Today is a work day and I always get up at the same time." He went straight to one of the cupboards, took out his container of oatmeal and went to the stove to start making it.

"Good morning, sweetie." She smiled.

Without looking at her, he replied. "Good morning, Penny." He set a pan of water on the stove, turned on the heat and then looked at Leonard. "I suggest you take your shower now so we are not late to work."

Leonard rolled his eyes. "We have plenty of time." But he got up anyway and headed towards the bathroom.

Penny took his vacated spot, which sat facing Sheldon at the stove and sipped her coffee while made his oatmeal. "Did you end up getting any sleep last night, Sheldon?"

"Yes," He answered. "Quite quickly, actually. It seems talking to you last night helped." He over his shoulder at her. "Thank you again, Penny."

She smiled. "Aw, honey, it's no problem. What are friends for?"

"It seems you have gone far and beyond what is normally expected a friend, Penny." His blue eyes searched hers.

His gaze was a little unnerving; it was almost as if he could stare straight into her soul. So, she took a big gulp of coffee...and nearly burnt her tongue off.

"Penny," he handed her a napkin to clean herself off. "As I don't drink coffee, since I promised my mother I wouldn't do drugs, I am not sure of the protocol to drink it, but I am sure it is not to gulp it down like that."

"I know." She grumbled and cleaned the countertop, making sure there was no more coffee splatters before Sheldon sat and ate his breakfast.

They finished their breakfasts in silence. The only sound was Sheldon's spoon clinking on his bowl and Penny blowing on her coffee to cool it down. It seemed the two of them were so engrossed in their thoughts, that they hadn't heard the shower cut off and Leonard opening the bathroom door.

"Ready to go, Sheldon?" He asked when he stepped in the room, completely dressed and with messenger bag slung over his shoulder.

"I am." Sheldon stood up, moved to the sink where he quickly washed his dishes and then walked over to his desk where he grabbed his bag.

Penny watched him slip his bag over his head, her gaze lingering just a little too long on his arms. It wasn't like she could see if he had any muscle underneath his long sleeve shirt, but they were so long. They wouldn't have any trouble wrapping around her...Whoa. Wait. She couldn't think about him like that. He was her best friend and that was it.

"Bye, Penny." Leonard called to her from the open door, Sheldon stood behind him. "Will we see you later?"

She looked briefly at Sheldon, and then smiled at Leonard. "Sure."

"Okay, well, then I'll, uh, see you then." He gave her his lopsided grin and then walked out the door.

"Goodbye Penny." Sheldon's hand fidgeted on the strap of his messenger bag. "I look forward to seeing you later. It is Thai night."

"I know." She smiled and walked until she was in front of him. Placing a hand on his arm, she willed him to look at her. "Good luck, sweetie."

He rolled his eyes. "Luck? Really, Penny?" She didn't miss the mischievous sparkle in his eye.

"Blah, blah, blah. Hokum, I know." Her hand never left his shoulder. "What time is that meeting?"

"I believe it is at noon. I am to report to his office before my lunch break."

"Okay," she said. Biting her lip, she decided, why the hell not? and stood up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you later."

Sheldon was stunned, his eyes were wide and he stood frozen in his spot. Maybe he shouldn't have done that. Now, she had broken him.

"Sheldon!" Leonard's voice grew closer. "Come on! I thought you said you didn't want to be late." He paused when he saw the state of his roommate and looked at Penny. "What's wrong with him?"

"Oh, um, nothing." She gave him a little nudge. "Right, Sheldon?"

He blinked and was suddenly back to normal. Without a glance towards her, he walked past his shorter friend and headed down the stairs.

Leonard still looked confused and was about to say something, when Sheldon's voice yelled up the stairs.

"Leonard, I do not wish to be late!"

Penny shrugged when the bespectacled man looked at her. Then with a roll of his eyes, Leonard descended the stairs for a second time that day.  
\----------------------------------

Three hours later, Penny sat on her bed, freshly showered and looked at her closest. It was a mess and she had no idea how she was going to find something suitable to wear. If she was going to visit Sheldon before his meeting with his boss, she wanted to look nice. Not slutty, but nice.

Finally, she pulled out a white skirt, that wasn't too short, and a nice green top that she knew matched her eyes.

Now, shoes.

Should she wear those cute little white flats she had just bought last week or the five-inch strappy green heels?

Remember Penny, not slutty.

White flats it was.

Twenty minutes later, she was completely dressed, make-up on and hair is loose curls down her back. Grabbing her keys from the kitchen counter, she headed down to her car. She told Sheldon she would call before a visit, but this time she wanted to surprise him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

"Is there something wrong with your face, Sheldon?" Leonard never took his eyes off the road as he asked his roommate.

Sheldon dropped his long-fingered hand from his cheek and answered. "No, Leonard, there is nothing wrong with my face."

"You keep touching your cheek like there is." The shorter man replied as he turned into the Caltech parking lot.

"Nothing is wrong." He felt his face twitch and hoped his friend hadn't seen. It was already bad enough that he had to keep the fact that Penny kissed his cheek a secret. He was sure he didn't  _have_  to, but he didn't feel like informing Leonard about it.

"Um, alright then." He was content to leaving it be and Sheldon was grateful for his friend's lack of interest in the things that seem to bother him.

The two friends walked side by side into the University, talking about the normal things they usually talked about. Superheroes, TV shows, Spock... It wasn't until they reached Sheldon's office when Leonard paused their conversation midway through a sentence and looked nervous.

"What is it, Leonard?" Sheldon clutched the strap of his bag and looked down at his friend. "But make it quick. I need to get to my work."

"Um, this morning Leslie called and asked if I could give her a ride after work today."

"Leonard, I hope you told her no. You know, how much I despise her." He sighed.

"Actually, I said yes." Leonard closed his eyes, like he was preparing for a blow to the face or something.

"Very well." Sheldon spoke with a roll to his eyes. "I will ask Penny to take me home. Have a nice day at work, Leonard." He was about to walk into his office, when his short-friend prevented him. Again.

"You can't just expect her to come pick you up, Sheldon." His voice took on a whiny quality that Sheldon disliked. "Why can't you just deal with Leslie for the five minutes she'll be in the car?"

"I'd rather not. Penny will be picking me up. Good day, Leonard." And this time he walked into his office and shut the door.

* * *

It was a wonder he had actually been able to get some work done. His stomach was in knots and he glanced at the ticking clock above the door every five minutes. The meeting he was supposed to be having with Dr. Gablehouser was coming up soon and his heart sank at the prospect of bad news.

He wished Penny were here.

The moment that thought passed through his brain, he froze. It seemed lately that his mind was often plagued with thoughts of Penny. It wasn't disconcerting at all. Even though his mind was more on her than his equations and theories.

_Penny cares for me._

That thought flashed through his mind without his permission, but he found it to be true. He wasn't the best at evaluating human emotions, something he wasn't ashamed to admit, but as he thought of the way Penny treated and acted around him, he concluded that she cared for him.

_She picks me up from work when I work late._

_She makes sure I go to sleep at an optimal time. (Even though_ _she threatens me with physical harm.)_

_She smiles at me more often and laughs at me less._

_She asks me what is troubling me._

_She doesn't get angry when I disturb her REM sleep at inappropriate hours of the night._

_She kissed my cheek._

The list went on and on and he scrambled to find an empty composition notebook so that he could write them all done. With his eidetic memory, he knew he could remember them all but he wanted physical evidence of them. He also wanted to add more to them if there was more to be added.

"Do I care for Penny?" He asked the empty room. Of course, he didn't expect an answer but a resounded 'Yes' entered his mind.

Of course, he cared for Penny. The list of why he cared for her mirrored the one he made earlier.

Now the question was; did he care for her like a best friend or did his feeling past friendships and head to something more?

* * *

"Woxanne, you'we hewe again?" Penny rolled her eyes when she once again ran into Barry Kripke. Didn't he have an office or something he should be in?

Instead of brushing past him without saying a word, she gave him a forced smile. "It's Penny and yes, I'm here again."

"Leonawd is a lucky man." He mumbled as she walked away.

She couldn't resist. "I'm not here for Leonard, actually. I'm here for Sheldon. That's who I was here for last time, if you remember?"

"Oh, I thought you wewe playing a joke ow something." His eyes raked over her body and she felt disgusted. "You'we too pretty for Coopew. Now, me on the othew hand-"

"Bye!" She quickly made her exit before she could hear the rest of that sentence. Kripke freaked her out.

* * *

11:42

Eighteen more minutes until his meeting and the knots in his stomach still had not let up, the equations on his board had not been touched and the only sound in his office was his pen scratching against paper.

He had complied as many reasons he could to the fact that Penny cared for him and as he wrote down each fact with his meticulous handwriting, he wondered if any of these reasons meant she cared for him more than a friend.

He wished he could just straight out ask her, but even with his limited knowledge of proper social conventions, he knew that was not to be done. With Penny being a big ol' five, he hoped that one day she would just tell him how she felt. If her feelings were purely friendship or something more.

The knots in his stomach tightened and he didn't know why.

A sudden knock at his door nearly had him throwing his pen across the room in surprise. A quick glance at the clock told him that it couldn't be the guys getting him for lunch; he'd have to decline their offer if it was, so he had no idea who would be disturbing him at this time.

Grabbing the black-and-white marbled composition notebook, he carefully slid it into his messenger bag that hung on a hook by his desk, walked to the door, and opened it.

The moment he opened the door, he wondered if wishes really did come true. Penny stood in the doorway with a bright smile.

"Hiya, Sheldon!" She waved and the smile never wavered.

He wondered briefly if a smile had the power to blind.  _No_ , he reassured himself,  _it is a physical impossibility._

"Can I come in?" She bounced on her toes and asked.

"Of course," he stepped out of the way and allowed her to enter his office. Closing the door behind her, he asked. "And what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Aw, you're happy to see me, sweetie?" She turned and faced him, hand clasped in front of her.

"Of course," he said again and stood up straighter. "You are my friend and I enjoy your company."

"Even while you're at work?" Her eyes had a teasing glint to them.

"Well, I'm not doing any work at the moment, so I find the time of your visit acceptable." He glanced at the clock. "Speaking of time, I'm going to have to leave soon for my meeting with Dr. Gablehouser."

"That's why I'm here!" She said brightly and hopped on his desk to sit.

He didn't tell her to get off and didn't know who that shocked more. Penny or him. But he found that he didn't mind her sitting on his desk. Didn't mind that she had visited him without calling first and didn't mind that she was now playing with the cup of pens on his desk.

"Oh, really?" He stepped closer to her, not close enough to touch, but close enough, if she wanted to, she could reach out a hand and grasp his shoulder. "Do you plan on going in with me?" He would very much like her support.

"Sorry, Moonpie, I think you need to go in there alone." She crossed her legs and Sheldon's gaze briefly went her exposed tan skin before shooting right back up to her eyes.

"Maybe you could wait outside the door? If Dr. Gablehouser is there to give me bad news, I would like for my best friend to be the first person I can go to in my time of grief."

Her fingers grazed his shoulder and he felt oddly comforted by the small touch. It seemed Penny was the only person to give him comfort through contact. With the exception of his Meemaw, of course.

"I'm your best friend?" Her voice grew soft and the smile on her face matched it.

"Of course, you are Penny! There is a list of reasons why this is true but," his watch beeped. "We must be making our way to Dr. Gablehouser's office."

"Okay." She hopped off his desk, hesitated for a moment and suddenly linked her arm through his.

Sheldon found himself momentarily speechless. He could count the number of time he had ever been speechless on one hand.

Penny's whole body was pressed against his side and it felt  _nice._  He needed his notebook so he could catalogue all this down, but he would be late if they didn't leave now and he hated being late.

* * *

Sheldon left Penny standing outside the large wooden door that led to his boss's office. He briefly wondered how she would react if he had suddenly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her inside. That would probably cause a scene and that was the last thing he wanted right now.

So, with a deep sigh and a small smile to Penny (who gave him a large reassuring smile and a wave back), he opened the door and was greeted by his boss and Dr. Mueller. He remembered Dr. Mueller from his time in Germany and knew that he had liked the man.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Cooper." said Gablehouser from his standing position behind his desk. "Please have a seat." He motioned to the empty armchair next to his old professor.

He took and wiped his sweaty palms on his tan pants. He didn't know he could even get nervous. Well, he supposed that was untrue. He did get nervous when he had to speak in front of enough people that could trample him.

"It's nice to see you again, Sheldon." Said Dr. Mueller from his right.

"It is nice to you as well, Dr. Mueller." He returned.

The gray haired man chuckled. "Please call me, Dominik."

Sheldon nodded and turned to Eric when the man cleared his throat.

"Dominik and I have called you here to discuss something of great importance, Dr. Cooper and since we do not want to take away time from your lunch break, this will be brief."

Once again, Sheldon nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. This was it.

"We are happy to inform you, Dr. Cooper, that after  _much_  discussion," Eric glanced at Dominik before focus his attention back to Sheldon, "we have chosen you to speak at an important lecture at Dr. Mueller's university in Germany."

The air left his lungs and he couldn't speak.

"There will be many important people at this lecture, Sheldon. If some of them are impressed by your work then they may give you money for grants and such. This will help you get closer to the Nobel Prize."

The last two words got him. He jumped out of his chair and nearly toppled it over. He wanted to rush out that door and tell Penny, but he had to thank the two men in the room with him. So, he did.

He was so excited that he almost shook their hands.  _Almost._  Instead, he opted on gushing. "Thank you so much, Dr. Gabelhouser. Dr. Mueller." The former looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Sheldon never thanked any one for anything. The latter just smiled at him and stood.

"You deserve it, Sheldon. I am very impressed with the work you have done and I told Eric, here, that I was not going to let a little prank stop me from choosing you to speak at my University."

At the mention of the Arctic, Sheldon felt his face twitch but didn't say anything.

"Before you leave, Dr. Cooper, we also would like to tell you that you can bring someone with you on this trip." He gave him a wink and Sheldon was confused. "Maybe you can bring along that nice pretty woman who visited you at your office a few days ago."

"Penny?" He asked confused.

"Yes, Penny, that was the lovely young woman's name!" Dominik added with a smile. "I sense that she would be the most ideal travel companion for you."

"I'll have to think about that." He finally managed to force out. They wanted him to bring Penny? But what would she benefit from a trip full of academics and lectures? Wouldn't Leonard or Raj, even Howard, better be suited for this trip?

He had a lot of thinking to do when he return home this evening.

"You are free to go." Eric motioned to the door. "We will speak to you again at a later date to discuss the travel details."

"All right," Sheldon gripped the doorknob. "Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity." He opened the door and stepped out.

* * *

Penny didn't know what she expected of Sheldon the moment he walked out the door, but a hug definitely wasn't it. One moment, she was biting her nails waiting for him to come out and the next she had a face full of some superhero shirt and long gangly arms wrapped around her waist.

It only took her seconds to return the hug. Hugs for him were very rare and she was going to take advantage of this one.

"I take it; it was good news, Sheldon?" She asked after he had let her go.

"It was." He smiled. "They chose me to go to Germany for a very important lecture. This will help me get closer to obtaining my goal of receiving a Nobel Prize."

She clapped her hands in excitement and fought the urge to hug him again. "That's so exciting, sweetie! See, I told you that they would want you instead of Leonard."

"I should have believe you, Penny." He suddenly turned bashful and she thought he looked cute.

"You should have!" She teased and nudged him gently.

"Oh!" He suddenly brightened. "They also informed me that I could take any I waned with me on this trip. I have yet decided who I will choose, but I believe that by tomorrow I will have come to a decision. So, tomorrow, after your shift at the Cheesecake Factory, I would like to invite you to our apartment and I will inform everyone of my decision."

"Okay, Sheldon, I'll be there."

 


	10. Chapter Ten

**Chapter 10**

Sheldon broke out a fresh composition notebook that night and spent an hour before bed scribbling away in it. His upcoming trip to Germany at the forefront of his mind. He knew that each of his friends would benefit greatly from the trip, but he had yet to decide whom he would take.

Leonard was his roommate and supposed 'best friend'. He took him places in his car and would engage in most of his conversations.

Raj was also a close friend and whose work probably was the closest to his own.

Howard was only considered an acquaintance. Some days, Sheldon didn't even know why he associated with him at all, but he knew that it would benefit him greatly if he went to Germany with Sheldon. Maybe while they were there, he could convince him to go back to school and get a doctorate.

Penny was the only person whose work would not benefit from the trip, but he knew that she would enjoy the trip and call it a vacation of some sorts. Even though, for him, it would  _not_  be a vacation, at all.

He nibbled on the cap pf his pen, something he would never admit to doing, and stared at the page in front of him.

This was going to be a difficult decision, even though something in his head told him that it really shouldn't be.

Suddenly an idea popped into his head. Maybe he wouldn't have to choose. Maybe he'd have someone else choose for him. Randomly, of course.

He couldn't believe that he was going to something as mundane as picking names from a hat, but he knew that it would be the fairest. Each of his friends would have an equal percentage of being picked.

There would be a twenty-five percent chance that Leonard could be picked.

There was also a twenty-five percent chance that Penny could be picked, as well.

* * *

That evening everyone gathered in Sheldon and Leonard's living room. By that time, everyone had found out about Sheldon's upcoming trip to Germany and they were all curious to see which one of them would be accompanying him.

Surprisingly, no one had tried to bribe him and Sheldon's faith in his friend's was beginning to be restored.

Howard, Raj and Penny all sat on the couch, with Penny in his spot, which he choose to ignore, and Leonard sat in his armchair. Sheldon stood before them, hands clasped behind his back like a military officer ready to give orders.

"All of you should know by now about my upcoming trip, correct?" At seeing all of their nodding heads, he continued. "And am I correct to assume that all of you would like to come with me?" Once again, four heads nodded.

Leonard raised his hand, like he was back in school, and waited for Sheldon to call on him before he spoke. "How will you choose who goes with you?"

"Will there be certain trials?" Howard piped up, looking somewhat excited. Penny looked nervous, while Raj remained silent. The look on the Indian's face showed that he was just as excited as Howard, though.

"I did think of conducting a set of trials and whoever came out on top would join me, but I was unable to think of any suitable tests that wouldn't put any one of you at a disadvantage." At their blank stares, he sighed. "No, there will be no trials or anything of the kind."

Howard and Raj both looked disappointed, while Penny and Leonard each shared a look of relief.

"I have come up with another solution. I know it's juvenile, but it provides each of you with the exact same chance of being chosen." From behind his back, he produced a baseball cap, a Christmas gift from Missy several years prior. "In this hat, each of your names are written on a scrap of paper. I will close my eyes, pick a paper and whoever's name is listed will be the one to go with me. Any questions?"

No one raised their hands and continued to look at him expectantly. Howard moved forward to sit at the edge of the couch, Raj followed suit. Penny remained where she was and waited patiently. Leonard tried to look like he was calm about the whole thing, but Sheldon could read the excitement in his eyes.

All of them wished to go to Germany and were willing to overlook the fact that they were going with him.

With one last look around the room, Sheldon closed his eyes and reached into the hat with one of his long-fingered hands. Each paper had been cut and folded to be the same exact size, so no one was at an advantage here.

Finally, he plucked a piece from the bottom of the hat and held it up. Opening his eyes, he glanced at the small piece of paper. Taking another glance at his friends, he saw that they were all on the edge of their seats now. Howard's skinny jean clad legs jingled with impatience and he almost looked like he was about to pounce from his cushion to rip the paper away.

With slow purpose, he turned to set the now useless hat on the counter and walked back to stand back in the middle of the living room.

"Just open the damn paper, already!" Howard shot to his feet and shouted. Sheldon glared at the small man, but moved to open the piece of paper. Finally.

He made sure to keep his face an unreadable mask as his eyes quickly scanned the name. Outside, he looked like he always did, calm and cool. Inside, though, was a different matter. His chest bubbled in what he thought was...excitement? Happiness?

"Well," Leonard asked. "Who is it?"

His eyes landed right on the person whose name he had picked. "Penny."

 


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter 11**

It took several seconds for everything to sink into Penny's mind. Had Sheldon really called her name? Was she really going to go to Germany? She felt like she had just won the lottery. Sitting there in Sheldon's spot, her mind was far away while the three other people sitting by her all started talking at once.

"Penny!" Howard cried. "B-but..."

Raj remained silent, since Penny was still in the room and he couldn't speak in front of her. Leonard had walked up to Sheldon, eyes squinting at his friend and snatched the paper away. Sure enough, it read the blonde woman's name.

"Leonard, do you think I was lying when I announced her name? I'm sure my facial tick would have given you away if I had."

"I was just making sure, Sheldon."

The tall physicist didn't say anything to the short man in front of him and walked over to where Penny was still sitting, mouth gaping in surprise like a fish. When Sheldon's shadow fell across her, she looked up at him, green eyes wide.

"You sure you want me to go with you?" She asked. "I know you're going for some science-y thing. I'd probably get in the way, wouldn't I?"

Sheldon thought a moment. He was very into his work and hated distractions, but having Penny along would hardly be a distraction, would it? They had become closer these last few months and he liked to think that she knew when or when not to bother him. Plus, all he'd be doing was lecture to students and possibly, go to a few dinners.

"Of course you wouldn't be in my way, Penny. Unless, of course, you'd go to my lectures and start acting like a crazed woman, which I know you won't do." In a moment of unsureness, he added, "Right?"

Penny gave him a mischievous smile. "Depends on how bored I get."

"Bored?" Sheldon said, aghast. "In Germany? Penny, let me inform you that there is countless things to keep you occupied while I'm lecturing. Sightseeing alone should keep you busy for several hours."

Penny stood up and patted him on the cheek, ignoring the three pairs of eyes on her. "I was just joking, Sheldon. I promise I won't act like some crazy person while you speak. Can't promise if I stay awake if I go to one of your lectures, though. I've been friends with you for a long time, sweetie, but that doesn't mean I understand any of that physics stuff that comes out of your mouth."

"I suppose you don't know German." Sheldon seemed to forget that Raj, Leonard and Howard were still in the room. Howard had gotten over the fact that he hadn't been chosen and now joined Leonard in setting up the Xbox for an unplanned game of Halo. Raj meandered to the refrigerator to grab himself a drink.

"Just cuss words," Penny said. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep up in a regular conversation, but she was confident she could give someone a proper telling off in German.

"I see." Without another word, he walked around Penny and went to the bookcases behind them. Scoring the shelves for a few seconds, he finally found what he was looking for and handed it to her.

It was a German-English dictionary.

"I don't expect you to become fluent in the language by the time we depart, but if you were to off sightseeing without me, this will help you understand at least some basic words."

"Thanks." Penny held the book close to her chest, knowing that it would be looked at very often in the next few days.

"Good, now that that's settled, tomorrow Dr. Gablehouser will give me the itineraryfor our trip and I will know the exact date of our departure, but I would suggest you start packing now."

"Of course," Penny agreed, knowing it was a lie. She'd start packing the night before they were due to leave.

Sheldon searched her face, as if knowing she was telling an untruth. Had hanging out with him given Penny her own facial tick?  _Oh_   _God_ , she thought covering one of her cheeks with her hand.  _I hope not._

"So," Leonard said, causing Penny and Sheldon to look over at the bespectacled man who held up two controllers. "Do you guys want to play some Halo?" Raj and Howard were back by the couch. Raj sat at the end, leaving the middle cushion open for Penny, and Howard had dragged a chair from somewhere to sit on.

"Even though tonight is not Halo Night," Sheldon began as he walked around the couch and sat in his spot. "I would like to play."

"We should have used Halo as a way to choose who would go to Germany!" Howard piped up from his spot.

"Penny would still be the one accompanying me." Four pairs of eyes swiveled to look at him and he continued. "Besides myself, of course, Penny is one of the best players of Halo in this room."

Everyone agreed with a nod and some grumbling, mostly from Howard.

* * *

" _Guten morgen,_ Sheldon!" Penny greeted as she walked into the boy's apartment the next morning. Leonard was no where to be seen, but the door to the bathroom was closed and she could only assume he was in there. Sheldon sat at the table in the middle of their kitchen, eating breakfast, and at her entry, he gave her a smile.

"I see you've looked through the dictionary I gave you," he said very pleased.

Penny's smile brightened before she scored her brain for the German word for yes. She had just looked it up last night. "Um,  _ja_...?"

The smile didn't waver on his face. "Correct, again, Penny."

She did a fist pump and moved to the coffee machine to pour herself a cup. Today, she had to work the lunch shift at the Cheesecake Factory and normally would still be asleep, but she woke up early for some reason and had decided to come over and bother Sheldon. She also wanted to show some of the words she had been able to learn the night before.

"Today, I will find out the schedule for our trip from Dr. Gablehouser and Dr. Mueller." At her nod, he continued. "Would it be all right to come over after work and go over it with you?"

"I work until five, today, so anytime after that will be fine." Penny took a sip of her coffee and walked around the table to sit in the stool next to him.

"That will be fine. It'll give me enough time to make copies for you."

Penny rolled her eyes good-naturally and bumped him with her shoulder before she could stop herself. "You and your schedules."

Sheldon didn't seem phased by the bump. "You and your disorganization, Penny." He countered with a smirk. "It's wonder you can find clothes to wear in that mess."

"Hey!" She protested. "I just organized my closet the other day!"

"With the closet schematics I gave you?"

"No, I used my own organization system." She cut off Sheldon before he could interrupt her. "And everything is hung up, folded and put away neatly. Maybe later, I'll show you and see that I can be organized sometimes."

He huffed. "We'll just have to see."

Leonard walked into the room, then, smiled when he saw Penny and walked over to his desk to grab his bag and keys. "Morning, Penny." He looked at Sheldon, who stood up from his seat and went to gather his own bag. "Ready to go, Sheldon?"

"Of course," Sheldon answered and followed Leonard to the door. Penny was right behind them on her back to her apartment. Sheldon turned, locked the door and looked at her. "I will see you later, Penny."

"Okay," she smiled. "Have fun at work. Both of you!" She made sure to raise her voice loud enough so Leonard, who had started to descend the stairs, could hear.

Both men returned the phrase and made their way down the stairs. Penny went back to her apartment, grabbed her dictionary from beside her bed and started to learn some more German before she had to get ready for her shift.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The shift at the Cheesecake Factory had dragged and Penny was glad to finally find herself back in her apartment, dressed in a pair of yoga pants and oversized sweatshirt. Her blonde hair was thrown into a messy bun and her face was make-up free. It was her time to unwind...well, until Sheldon made his appearance. Which would most likely be soon.

Penny didn't care that she looked like a hobo and she knew Sheldon didn't mind either. It was one of the good things about having a friend like him. He didn't seem to care what she wore and she didn't have to constantly try to impress him. She could just be Penny. Yeah, he did get annoyed with how she acted sometimes and they got into fights, but that was what friends did and at the end of the day, she knew that Sheldon would always have her back.

They had known each other for almost three years and had become great friends. When Penny had first met Sheldon, she would have laughed at the idea of spending a week alone with him on a trip to Germany. Now, she had practically jumped in joy when he had called her name. Since the Arctic, Penny had felt her feelings toward the tall scientist shift. No longer did she think of him as the awkward, robot-like man that had entirely too many rules, but as the awkward man who could be endearing and sweet.

The Arctic had hurt Sheldon deeply. So much so that he never brought it up and winced whenever the word 'Arctic' was mentioned. Penny had remained by his side during the whole deal and now, she could honestly say that he was her best friend. However, lately, she had started to think of him as something more and that worried her. Sheldon didn't do relationships and she knew that if she developed feelings for him, she would find herself in a world of hurt.

*Knock knock knock*

"Penny."

*Knock knock knock*

"Penny."

*Knock knock knock*

"Penny."

Penny couldn't help the smile when the sound of three knocks and her name sounded on the door. Earlier in their relationship, she would have told everyone how annoying Sheldon's knock was but deep down she didn't hate it at all. Whenever she heard it, she knew exactly who it was.

"Come in!" She called from her position behind the kitchen counter. She was going to start making some tea, knowing that Sheldon would want something to drink when he came in and tea sounded good to her.

"Really, Penny," Sheldon sighed when he opened the door. "I could have been anyone and you just let them barge into your apartment."

Penny rolled her eyes and turned to set the kettle on the stove to heat up. "Sheldon, sweetie, you tell that me every time I let you in without opening the door first. I know it's you knocking and if it isn't, there's a reason why I still keep my old baseball bat." She walked across the room and sat down on the couch next to him. "There's a reason why my dad called me Slugger."

Sheldon's lips tilted up slightly in a smile and then he got down to business. Turning in his seat, he faced Penny fully and handed over a thin binder. "This has everything you need to know about the trip. We leave in two weeks time, so that should be enough time to inform your employer of your one week vacation."

Penny nodded and began to flip through the pages of the binder. Everything that was needed to know where on those pages. There was a schedule for the day they left and a schedule of all the events Sheldon would have to attend during the week. There was even a list of suggested items Penny should bring along.

Any other person would have been surprised at the time and effort gone into the binder, but Penny knew this like an every day thing for Sheldon and wasn't surprised at all.

"Thanks," she finally said after skimming through some of the sheets. This binder would be a part of her nightly readings, tonight.

"You are welcome," Sheldon replied happily. He was very pleased with how she had received the binder of information. "Hopefully, you will review these pages carefully. I would hate to get all the way to Germany to find out you have forgotten something important."

Penny rolled her eyes and placed the binder on the coffee table in front of them. "How about you pack everything for me? That way I will definitely not be forgetting anything."

"Penny, I seriously doubt you'd want me to pick the clothes you would be wearing. I know you take your appearance very seriously. You seem to view some of my clothing choices with disapproval, so I doubt you'd be happy with the wardrobe I'd pick out for you."

That was a long way of just telling her no, she thought. But that was typical Sheldon for you.

Getting up from her spot on the couch, she walked over to the stove where the water in the kettle had come to a boil and moved to pour two cups of tea. One of the mugs was just a plan yellow one, while the other bore the yellow and black bat symbol. Penny had found the cup at the one of the stores at the mall and hadn't hesitated to buy it.

It was now the only mug Sheldon used when he was over at her apartment.

Sheldon smiled at the sight of his cup as she handed it to him like he did every time. "Thank you, Penny."

"You're welcome, sweetie." She settled back into the couch and blew at her tea. They fell into a comfortable silence. Sheldon didn't feel the need to fill every moment with words and Penny felt the same way as well. They had come a long way in their friendship.

"Penny, are you...happy about coming with me to Germany?" The question seemed to come out of nowhere and when Penny looked over at Sheldon, she was surprised to see that he wouldn't look at her. In fact, he looked...worried.

"Of course, I'm happy!" She was quick to say. "I get to go on a vacation and to Europe, no less! Why wouldn't I be happy?"

Sheldon still refused to look at her and Penny started to get worried. "You do not mind that it will be that you spend most of your time with?" Sheldon didn't do insecure; well he didn't before the Arctic.

"Sheldon," she put her cup down and gave him her full attention. "You're my best friend. I'm actually really excited that I get to go to Germany with you. Really. It's going to be fun and I don't know why you're so worried about it."

Sheldon didn't respond right away, his mind seeming to be far away at the moment.

Penny was left to wonder why he was feeling this way. Had one of the guys said something to him? Had it been Leonard? Had he told Sheldon that she wouldn't want to go with him? She mentally shook her head. No, he wouldn't tell that to him, knowing that if she found out about she'd kick his ass. Howard? She could see his scrawny butt telling Sheldon that she wouldn't want to go with him.

"Well," Sheldon finally spoke. "I'm very glad that I choose you, Penny." When he didn't say anything more, she reached back for her tea and they fell into a comfortable silence once more.

* * *

Sheldon returned to his apartment a few hours later. Leonard sat at his computer, eyes squinting as he read whatever was on the screen. Sheldon greeted him as he walked by and sat at his own computer, hoping to get some work done.

"Everything set with Penny?" Leonard swiveled around in his chair and faced his friend. "After seeing that binder, she didn't run for the hills, did she?"

"She was quite thankful for it, actually." Sheldon didn't even look from his screen. The question irritated him, but Penny had already told him that she was glad to be going on this trip with him, so he wouldn't let anything the guys said get to him.

"Well, that's good," Leonard said before turning back to his computer. Sheldon was glad to see that he wasn't disappointed by his answer. He was afraid that Leonard would get all mopey once he found out that Penny was going with him and if he was jealous, he hadn't shown it.

Sheldon was grateful. There was only so much sad music he could stand and he had gotten enough of it the first time Penny had rejected Leonard.

He pulled up the material he would speak about at Dr. Mueller's university and began to add more points to it. As he wrote, his mind wasn't on the screen in front of him, it was on his blonde neighbor, his very pretty blonde neighbor, and he couldn't help but wish the next weeks to go by fast.

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_**A Week Until Germany** _

"So, Penny, I heard that you're going on a vacation to Europe, soon," said Mike from his spot by the grill. Penny had gone back to the kitchen to spend her lunch break.

Sitting on top of a couple crates, she poked at her salad before answering. "Yeah, a friend of mine asked me to go and of course I said yes."

Mike walked around to stand in front of her, wiping his hands on a stained towel. "No offense, but isn't a trip to Europe a little...expensive?"

"Yeah, but everything is paid for," Penny leaned against the crate behind her back. "Otherwise, I definitely  _would_   _not_  be going." She could barely pay her rent, let alone a weeklong trip to Europe.

"Oh, so it's  _that_ kind of friend." Mike waggled his eyebrows in suggestive way and Penny briefly thought of Howard.

"No, he's not  _that_  kind of friend, Mike." She was done having those kinds of friends for the moment. Hell, she hadn't been on a date since...since the guys had come back from the Arctic. Which was nine months ago and for the old Penny that would be unheard of. "Sheldon's my best friend and he asked me to go with him to Germany."

Penny instantly regretted revealing who she was going with when she saw the look on Mike's face. "No way!" He exclaimed. "Crazy Hamburger Guy? You're going on vacation with  _him?_ "

Penny just sighed and hopped off the crate, no longer hungry. "His name is Sheldon. He's been my neighbor for three years and we've become really close since then."

"You know, I thought, out of the four guys that always come in on Tuesdays, that you would get with the short one with the glasses before Craz-, I mean, Sheldon."

Penny shuddered at the thought of being with Leonard. She'd be lying to herself if the thought hadn't entered her mind  _once_  but that was when they had first met and she was still smarting from the break-up with Kurt. The last three years had given Penny a deeper look at how Leonard was and he wasn't the nice guy he claimed to be.

"Listen, Mike, I'm not with either of them,  _especially_  not Leonard. Now," she grabbed her apron and tied back around her waist. "My lunch break is over. I'll talk to you, later." Not.

**S** **-** **P**

Sheldon held a clipboard in his hand and once again, looked over the contents in his suitcase, which lay on his bed. It was still a week until they were to leave, but he liked to be prepared and there was nothing wrong with getting everything together early.

He wondered if Penny had taken his advice and started packing, as well. Probably not. That woman rarely did as he suggested, no matter how right he knew he was. Maybe after he was finished here he'd go check up on her. Glancing at his wristwatch, he saw that it was about the time Penny got off from her shift at the Cheesecake Factory.

Someone knocked on his door, which was partially opened, and he turned to see Leonard fidgeting there. Sheldon had to roll his eyes at the way his friend's hands twisted together, clearly nervous. "Hey, buddy," Leonard began. "So, today is the third Thursday of the month."

Sheldon placed his arms at his sides, his clipboard clanked lightly against his thigh. "I am aware of the day, Leonard."

"Well, that means its Anything Can Happen Thursday and Howard, Raj and I decided to go see a movie and maybe hit a few bars afterward. Do you want to come?"

The tall, lanky, physicist sighed with annoyance. They knew that he didn't like to go to bars (disgusting places filled with germs and who knew what else) and they were probably going to a theater he didn't approve of. However, they did think of inviting him, so Sheldon's annoyance at his friends dimmed. "No, thank you, Leonard. I still have a few things to do here to prepare for my trip to Germany, but thank you for the offer."

Leonard looked relieved for a moment and instead of leaving the doorway, like Sheldon thought, he continued to stand there. "So, you and Penny, huh?" He asked in a poor attempt at a conversation.

"Penny and I, what?" Annoyance once again began to bubble up. Hadn't he just told Leonard that he had things to do?

"Still going to Germany?"

"Of course, Leonard. With only one week until our departure, it would be highly unlikely to cancel now." He turned back to his suitcase, hoping his short, bespectacled friend would get the hint to leave him alone.

"I hope she knows what she's getting into." The words were spoken so low that no normal person would have been able to hear them, but Sheldon wasn't normal and he had Vulcan hearing. The words stung a bit.

"I'll have you know, Leonard," he said without turning back around. "Penny does know what she's 'getting into' and I have asked her if she was sure she wanted to accompany me on this trip." Turning to face Leonard, Sheldon made sure his face was an unreadable mask. "She has assured me that wishes to go."

Leonard's face grew red. "U-Uh, okay. Well, um, Raj and Howard should be here soon. See you later." He quickly retreated.

Packing no longer appealed to him and Sheldon placed his clipboard on top of the suitcase, zipped it up and placed it neatly by his bed. There was still six more days to finish up and right now, he just wanted to sit on his bed and be left alone with his thoughts, which for once, were not on his equations.

Insecurities were something Sheldon rarely experienced, if at all, but the past several months they had began to rear their ugly heads. Was he really smart enough to gain a Nobel Prize? Did he really deserve to lecture at Germany? Did Penny really want to go or did she just feel sorry for him?

Penny had been a constant since the Arctic and he had never been more grateful for a person than he was for her. If she hadn't been there, he didn't know where he would be. Probably still sulking away at his mother's house in Texas, no doubt.

Something else that was different since he returned from the Arctic was the way he felt every time his pretty, blonde neighbor was around. His heart rate would speed up, his face would sometimes feel flushed and, to his horror, sometimes he didn't even know what to say when around her. That was unheard of.

At first, he had thought he had been coming down with an illness and had checked the internet for any sickness that matched his symptoms. Nothing credible popped up and he abandoned the mission. Sheldon just decided that he would deal with these things every time Penny was around and to be honest, they didn't feel all that unpleasant. He had thought about telling her what was going on with him, but decided to keep it to himself.

The door shut and he lifted his head towards his still open door to see if he could hear voices, like Raj or Howard, instead he heard nothing and figured it was just his friends leaving the apartment.

"Sheldon?" His head popped up when he heard someone calling his name. It was a feminine voice and of course, he knew who it was. Penny. "Sheldon?" Penny appeared at his doorway and smiled at him. She still wore her uniform and her hair was in a messy bun.

"Hello, Penny." He stood from his bed and met her at the door. "Is there something you needed?"

"No," she shook her head and looked up at him because of their height difference. "I just passed Leonard, Howard and Raj in the hallway and they told me what they were up to, so I decided to come over and ask if you wanted to do anything since you're going to be home alone."

A night spent with Penny? That sounded way more appealing than spending the rest of his night packing and watching the Syfy channel. "What did you have in mind?"

Penny shrugged. "I don't know. Anything you want to do?"

Sheldon had nothing in mind since he hadn't been expecting her to visit. "Maybe we could play some Age of Conan? I'm afraid it's been a long time since I've played and my character is in dire need of leveling up."

Penny smiled, brightly. "Okay! Just let me get showered and changed and then I'll be right over." Sheldon followed her as she began to head towards her apartment.

"While you're gone, would you like me to order a pizza?" His hand was already reaching for the cordless phone by his spot.

"Sure!" With a hand on the doorknob, she turned to face him. "Give me a half hour and then, I'll be right over."

Forty-five minutes later, Penny and Sheldon sat on the couch, shoulders brushing against each other, laptops settled in their laps and talking rapidly through their headsets. A half eaten pizza lay on the table.

Sheldon looked over at his best friend, the insecurities of earlier leaving his mind. If Penny didn't like or want to spend time with him, then why was she here? Why would she willingly come over and ask to hang out with him?

Leonard had been wrong to think that she would run for the hills the moment she say what she was really getting into. Sheldon had not been the only one to change since the Arctic. Penny had changed as well. Gone were the excessive drinking and partying days and though, she still worked as a waitress, the number of auditions she went for had significantly increased.

Fingers snapped in his face and he was brought back from his thoughts. "Hey, Sheldon, are Queen Penelope and Sheldor going in this fight or not?"

Sheldon looked down at his screen and then at his beautiful best friend, a smile upturning the corners of his lips. "Of course, my Queen."

When Leonard returned back to his apartment late that night, he was surprised to see two figures fast asleep on the couch. Sheldon lay slumped across the armrest, legs sprawled on the ground and curled into his side, head pillowed by Sheldon's shoulder, was Penny.

Leonard wanted to ignore how comfortable they looked and continued to stumble to his room. Maybe in the morning he'd forget all about it.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter 14**

**Night Before Departure**

Penny was nervous. No other word could describe what she was feeling. Tomorrow, she and Sheldon would be on a plane to Germany. There flight would last twelve hours and then, they would spend the next seven days together.

Standing up from her couch, Penny wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans and headed towards the kitchen. Maybe a nice glass of wine would calm her nerves...or a whole bottle. Walking over to the fridge, she went up on tiptoes and grabbed the bottle of wine hidden above it. The bottle was only half full and Penny hadn't taken a drink of it for months.

Penny was glad that her dependency on alcohol was starting to wan. Guilt flooded her when she went into on of her cupboards to grab a wine glass and filled it half full with the clear liquid. So, her nerves were a little on edge, that didn't mean she had to revert to old habits.

 _Special occasions only, Penny_ , she thought.  _Don't break that promise to yourself._

Looking down at the goblet in her hand, Penny made the decision and turned to dump the contents down the sink. She also grabbed the bottle and dumped the rest of it, too. That way she wouldn't be tempted anymore.

Maybe there was something else that could calm her nerves. Penny's eyes drifted to the coffee maker placed the corner of her counter. It was rarely used, since usually would go next door and use her neighbor's. Immediately, she set to work preparing the machine. Coffee was usually drunk in the morning, but this time Penny made an exception.

And...she decided that she was going to use Sheldon's Batman cup. He would never know and if he did, she would just watch it several times before he used it again.

Several minutes later, she was pouring herself a cup full and adding a generous amount of creamer and sugar. Then, once her beverage was ready, Penny made her way to the couch and sat down. All her packing was done and the only thing left to do was board the plane tomorrow morning.

*Knock knock knock*

"Penny."

Penny smiled into her coffee as she listened to the knocks.

*Knock knock knock*

"Penny."

*Knock knock knock*

"Penny."

Instead of just yelling for him to enter, Penny placed her coffee down on the table (yes, on a coaster) and opened the door herself. Giving him a bright smile, Penny moved out of the way so Sheldon could enter.

Sheldon returned the smile (thankfully, not his 'Kill Batman' smile) and held a clipboard in his large hands. "I've come over to double-check that you have packed everything you need for our trip. It wouldn't be good if you found out you forgot something important while we were on the other side of the world."

Penny rolled her eyes good-naturally. She had expected this and wasn't bothered by it, like she would have been when they had first met. "My suitcase is on the bed, open and waiting for you to check it."

"Very well." Sheldon bobbed his head and walked back to her bedroom. Penny let him do what he needed and went back to her spot on the couch and her coffee.

Ten minutes later, Sheldon emerged from her room, a slightly surprised look on his face. "It seems, Penny," he said and sat in his spot on her couch. "You've packed everything that was needed."

"Yep," she popped the 'p'. The night before had her double checking the list Sheldon had given her and with a desire to get everything the first time, Penny had literally torn her apartment apart to include everything on the list.

"I'm impressed." Sheldon smiled and placed his clipboard on the table. That was when he noticed the small stack of magazines and picked up the book lying on top.  _War of the Worlds._ "You still haven't finished this?"

"Haven't had time." In fact, the bookmark still marked the page she had left off on that day in his office. "I plan on finishing it on the plane, though, and I have some magazines and the German dictionary to occupy myself with after."

"I'm glad to see that it is still in perfect condition." He gingerly placed the book down and settled more in his seat.

"Told you I'd take good care of it." Penny smirked and sipped more of her coffee.

"Coffee at his hour, Penny? You'll be up all night and we do have a plane to catch in the morning." Sheldon tsked. "And isn't that my mug you are drinking out of?"

Penny shrugged."I felt like drinking out of it. Relax, sweetie, I'll be thoroughly washing it when I'm done. Also, I have at least three alarms that will go off in the morning and you knocking on the door isn't included in that."

Sheldon sighed and they sat in silence for awhile. Penny sipping on her coffee and Sheldon flipping through the German dictionary, even though he was fluent in the language.

"Would you like something to drink, Sheldon?" Penny's own beverage was now gone when she realized she hadn't offered to get him anything.

"No, thank you, Penny." Sheldon put down the dictionary and stood up. "I should probably head back to my apartment and recheck my suitcase, again."

Penny rolled her eyes and stood up to deposit the Batman mug into the sink. She'd wash it later. If she remembered. "I'm sure you have everything you need, Sheldon. Why don't you just go home and relax a bit?"

Sheldon shifted a bit where he stood and didn't look like he knew how to respond. This whole week, Penny knew, had him going at a hundred miles an hour making sure everything was good and ready for their trip. It would have annoyed her, if she hadn't known how important the whole trip was to him.

"I suppose I could read a comic book or two."

"Good," Penny smiled and took her seat again. "Oh, I finished watching  _Firefly_  a few days ago. So, we could watch that movie, if you want or we can wait until we have a quiet night in Germany."

Slowly, but surely Penny had worked her way through the series and enjoyed every moment of it. Like Sheldon, she had thought the show had been cancelled to early and desperately wished for more episodes to watch.

"If we were to watch the movie tonight, it would put me way past my bedtime. I'll make sure to pack it and on a quiet night, like you said, we will view it together."

"All right, that sounds good!" Penny didn't know why she felt so giddy for that quiet night to happen. It wasn't like her and Sheldon had never watched a movie together. Maybe it was because they'd be in Germany and Leonard wouldn't be right across the hall.

"Maybe I will bring other movies for us to view, as well."

Penny grimaced silent. She could only imagine the movies he would pick, not that she minded most of them. But some... "How about this? You bring _Serenity_  and another movie and I'll bring one movie. That way it will be fair. There will be one movie you'll want to watch, one I'll want to watch and one we both want to watch."

Sheldon thought for a moment. "Hm, I suppose that would be fair." Glancing at his watch, he stood up. "I should probably retire back to my apartment. Especially if I want to have time to pick a movie before I go to bed."

Knowing Sheldon's extensive collection of DVDs, Penny understood his need to leave. It would take her several minutes to pick out the perfect movie, as well.

"Well, goodnight, Penny," Sheldon said and reached for the doorknob. Before he left her apartment, though, he turned to face her, hand still on the doorknob. "Penny, I have something I must confess."

This peeked Penny's interest. "What is it, Sheldon?"

"I'm glad..." he started and then looked unsure of himself for a moment. He wouldn't meet her eyes. Then, finally, after taking a deep breath, Sheldon looked her straight in the eyes. Penny couldn't breath. "I'm glad, that out of everyone who could have gone with me, it was you I picked."

Sheldon's gaze had Penny frozen in place. There was something in those blue pools that she couldn't quite read. Whatever it was, it was causing her heart to race. Penny hadn't felt like this since high school when her crush, Andy Reed, had asked her out.

"I'm glad you picked me, too," she finally said when her lungs filled up with enough air to speak.

Sheldon looked like he was about to say something more, but thought better of it. "Well, goodnight, again, Penny. I will see you bright and early tomorrow."

Penny groaned at the thought of having to get up early. "Tell you what, Sheldon, if you come over with a cup of coffee I won't attempt to kill you when you knock on my door."

Sheldon looked slightly horrified. "Very well, then. I will bring over a cup of coffee so that may life may not be put in danger."

"Good," she smiled. "Goodnight."

Sheldon nodded and softly shut the door behind him.

**~S-P~**

Sheldon walked though the living room of his apartment, ignored Leonard sitting at his desk and didn't stop walking until he was safely behind the closed door of his bedroom. What was the matter with him? His hands felt shaky and his body jittery, like he had taken a sip of Penny's coffee. The feeling wasn't unpleasant, but he hoped this would not happen every time he found himself in Penny's presence.

Especially, since the next seven days would be just him and Penny in Germany.

The thought sent his heart racing. Again.

**~S-P~**

That morning, Sheldon knocked on Penny's door earlier than he had ever done before and was surprised when she answered the door right away. Before saying a word, he handed her the steaming cup of coffee, with just the right amount of cream and sugar. Penny took it with a smile and stepped aside to let Sheldon in.

On the couch, Penny's suitcase rested with a bag full of hang-ups draped over the back. The German dictionary, along with  _War of the Worlds_  and a few magazines were on the table.

"I'm all ready. All I have to do is carry this stuff and pack it into Leonard's car. Before you say anything," Penny held up a finger. "Yes, I double checked and everything is there."

Sheldon clasped his hands behind his back. Impressed. He must have been rubbing off on her. "Very good. Leonard is just about ready and we will be leaving shortly. I have already packed my things in his car and social convention dictates that I help carry some of your things, as well."

"Aw, thanks, sweetie." Penny was pleasantly surprised. "Just let me finish this and then, I'll help you."

Since there was no room on the couch for him to sit, Sheldon remained standing. "Are you nervous to be on a plane for twelve hours, Penny?"

The question wasn't something she had let herself think about. "Kind of, if I'm being honest. The longest I have been on a plane has been only four hours."

"The last time I made this trip was when I was just a boy and even then, I took a plane from Texas so the trip was shorter. You know my preferred method of travel is by train. Unfortunately, there is no way a train can get us from here to Frankfurt." He brightened. "But a train  _will_  take us from Frankfurt to Heidelberg. Isn't that exciting?"

"Of course, honey," Penny said before throwing her head back and finishing off the last drop of caffeine. "Okay, I'm ready to go." She reached for the suitcase, but Sheldon stopped her.

"I got that, Penny. You can take everything else."

"You sure?" She had about four pairs of shoes stuffed in there and it was pretty heavy.

"I am."

Penny wasn't able to stifle the giggle when she watched Sheldon pick up the suitcase by the handle...and nearly topple over because of the weight.

**~S-P~**

The trip to the airport was silent. Leonard wasn't fully awake, yet, and after, they unpacked everything from his car, he had only muffled a quick goodbye before driving off. Most likely ready to hop into bed once he got back to the apartment.

Sheldon's suitcase had wheels and had offered to take the hang-ups from Penny while she carried the suitcase. By the time they had dropped off their luggage to be boarded on the plane, her arms were sore.

An hour later, they were seated on the plane and waiting for takeoff. Sheldon gripped the armrests tight and Penny was just as nervous, so she didn't even try to comfort him.

Fours later, Penny finally finished the last page of  _War of the Worlds_  and decided it was time for a nap.

After making herself comfortable in the seat, she looked over at Sheldon, who was looking out of the window. "Wake me up when it's lunchtime, okay?"

"Of course," he replied and went back to staring out the window.

Twelve hours after takeoff, they were ready to land in Frankfurt, Germany and Sheldon woke up Penny for the second time during their flight.

"Penny," he said, shaking her gently. "We're here."


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations are at the end.

**Chapter 15**

Their first day in Germany was uneventful, just like Sheldon's itinerary had said it would be. After a twelve-hour flight, which Penny had been asleep most of the time, they finally landed in Germany. It was four in the morning there and the airport wasn't busy. It didn't take them long to gather their luggage and find their ride to the train station.

The train from Frankfurt would leave at four-thirty and would arrive at Heidelberg around five-thirty. From there they would be driven to a hotel that was within walking distance to the university. They were promised a nice, large suite and Penny was excited to fall asleep in a real bed.

At noon, Sheldon had a lunch appointment with Dr. Mueller and Penny was still debating if she'd go with. It depended on how much sleep she got and how up to going outside she felt.

Boarding the train and finding their spots, Penny felt Sheldon practically vibrating in his seat. He really did love trains. Too bad the sun had yet to make an appearance and the scenery was shrouded in darkness. Penny willed herself to stay awake and took out her German dictionary, figuring since they were now in the German speaking country; she should better familiarize herself with it.

"Sheldon?" Her face is burrowed in the book and her brows are furrowed. "Sind wir schon da?" She hoped that she had pronounced it correctly. German was a harsh language.

Sheldon took his gaze from the window to see the dictionary opened in her hand and smiled. "We are almost there, Penny," he answered. "And you pronounced the words correctly. Very good."

Penny beamed at the compliment. Compliments from Sheldon were rare. "Next time, answer me in German. It'll help me understand some of it a little better. Hopefully." Or it would frustrate her to no end if she couldn't figure out what he said.

"Sehr gut," he answered and sent Penny flipping through the pages of the dictionary. She gave him a thumbs up, indicating that she found out what he had said. Turning back to the window, Sheldon wasn't looking at the dark scenery, but the reflection of Penny in the glass. He still couldn't believe that she was here with him. He was just waiting to be woken up from this dream.

**~S-P~**

It was still dark when they reached the hotel and thankfully, the check-in process went by quickly and Sheldon and Penny found themselves riding the elevator only minutes after walking into the hotel. After finding their suite on the fourth floor, Sheldon used his room key to open the door. Penny was too tired to take a good look around and carried her suitcases to the nearest bedroom.

"Do you have any preference on which bedroom you want?" Penny figured she'd ask, now. Knowing Sheldon, he had probably weighed the pros and cons of each room, wrote them down on a list and would present them to her, soon.

"Each room is identical, Penny. Pick whichever one you want." When Sheldon got no reply, he looked over to where Penny stood and saw her staring at him, mouth slightly agape. "Is there something wrong?"

"Are you  _sure_  you don't already have you a room picked out you want, Sheldon? This isn't like you."

"I'm sure. Pick a room and get some sleep." Sheldon took a seat in one of the armchairs and set his messenger bag on top of the coffee table. "I'll be leaving here at eleven forty-five for my lunch with Dr. Meuller. Of course, you are welcome to come, but if you don't, then that is all right, as well."

Penny ran a hand through her hair, which was already messy. "I'll think about it. If I go, that means I'll only get like four and half hours of sleep and I don't know how I feel about that." She smiled. "If I'm ready at eleven forty-five, then I'll come, but if you don't see me before you leave, then I'm most-likely asleep."

Sheldon nodded. "All right. Well, then, goodnight Penny." He looked over to the window and saw the sky was starting to lighten up. "Or should I say, good morning."

"Good morning to you, too, Sheldon." Penny winked and walked into her room. Dropping her bags at the foot of her bed, she turned to shut the door and then, plopped into her bed without changing her clothes. Penny was asleep even before her head hit the pillow.

**~S-P~**

After organizing everything he might need for the lunch with his former professor, Sheldon took his bags and went into the room that didn't hold Penny. He was tired and the bed looked inviting, but if he did sleep now, then his sleep schedule would be all out of whack and that was something he didn't want right now.

The clothes on his back was starting to make him feel dirty, so he opened one of his suitcases, took out a clean change of clothes and went to the bathroom that was joined with the room. Sheldon smiled, knowing that Penny would like that she had her own bathroom. He was grateful for that, too, because Penny had a tendency to take super long showers and he didn't want them to disrupt his schedule.

Once again, thinking about Penny caused him to pause. Was she really here with him? She was doing him a favor by being here. Sheldon liked to be alone, but going to Germany by himself hadn't appealed to him and taking anyone else besides Penny just felt  _wrong_ and for as smart as he was, he couldn't figure out why it would feel so wrong.

**~S-P~**

Penny's phone alarm went of at eleven and surprisingly, she felt well rested. Well, it looked like he was going to lunch with Sheldon. Standing up, she walked into her bathroom, looked into the mirror and cringed. She had a serious case of bed head and the make-up she had put on before their flight was smudged all over face.

It was time for a badly needed shower.

At eleven forty, Penny walked out of her bedroom, dressed and freshly showered. Stifling a giggle, she spotted Sheldon in the same armchair as before, sleeping.

"Sheldon," she called.

He jumped to his feet. "Danger, danger!" Looking over at her, he sighed. "I see you're accompanying me." He looked down at his watch. "And with five minutes to spare."

Penny rolled her eyes and picked up her purse where she had thrown it on the couch when they first got there. "You ready to go? It's going to take us at least five minutes to reach the lobby."

"Then we must leave, now." He slipped his bag over his head.

The restaurant they were to meet Dr. Meuller in was within walking distance of the hotel and they walked through the doors five minutes before the appointed time. A blonde haired hostess welcomed them at the door with a bright smile.

"Hallo. Wie viele?"

Penny had her German dictionary, luckily, and she had figured out what the hostess had said. Sheldon was looking at her, a corner of his mouth twitched up in a smile. "Would you like to answer, Penny?"

"Uh, okay."

Sheldon turned back to the hostess, who had been waiting patiently. "Sie übt ihr Deutsch. Würden Sie bitte geben Sie ihr eine minute?"

"Natürlich!"

Penny frantically looked through the dictionary, hating the pressure but wanting to make Sheldon proud. "Uh, drei?" She looked at Sheldon for confirmation, who nodded. "Dr. Meuller wird bald kommen?" Closing the dictionary, she smiled proudly.

"Actually," a voice behind the pair had them turning around. "I'm here, now."

"Oh," Sheldon said. "Hello, Dr. Meuller." Despite his aversion to germs, Sheldon shook the offered hand.

"Hello, Sheldon." The white haired man turned and saw Penny. "Oh! And hello, Penny." He enveloped her in a hug. "I'm glad you're the one to come with Sheldon." He winked and whispered. "Are you two together, now?"

Penny felt her face heat up and that's when she remembered the act she had played in front of him and Dr. Gablehouser what seemed like so long ago. "No, we aren't together."

He cupped her cheek and kept his voice low. "Don't worry, dear. He'll see the light, eventually, and if he's too hardheaded to see it, then, I'll help him along." Before Penny could say anything, Dr. Meuller turned back to Sheldon.

"Are you and your beautiful lady friend ready to enjoy a meal of fantastic German cuisine?" Sheldon followed the man and Penny stayed slightly behind. What had she gotten herself into?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the order of when they were said.  
> *Hello. How many?
> 
> *She is practicing German. Would you please give her a minute?
> 
> *Of course!
> 
> *Three? Dr. Meuller is coming soon.
> 
> All the translations are in order and I used Google Translate and if they aren't the right translations blame them! :)


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the wait and have no excuse, except for the fact that I haven't been feeling this story at all, lately. I also want to apologize for the length of this chapter, but it's something to help get me going on the rest of this story. I hope. Well, I hope you all enjoy! :)

**Chapter 16**

Penny wondered if it was too late to escape back to her and Sheldon's suite. She liked Dr. Mueller, he was a nice man that didn't treat Sheldon as if he was crazy, but she didn't know how she felt about him trying to be a matchmaker. She was perfectly capable of getting to fall for her... right? Yeah, she got it. She'd totally be able to woo Sheldon.

Who was she kidding? She was going to need all the help she could get.

"Is this spot all right?" Dr. Mueller asked for the hostess and broke Penny out of her thoughts of a certain blue-eyed physicist. Sheldon said yes and looked at Penny, waiting for her answer.

The table was by a window and they had a nice view of the street and the people that walked by. "It's perfect," she answered and sat down. Being in Europe was becoming even more real as she looked out the window to people watch.

A waitress came by their table a few minutes later to place a glass of water in front of them and to hand them their menus. Penny realizes that everything was in German, but fortunately, there were pictures by most of them. It would have taken her forever to take out her dictionary and figure out what each item was.

Many of the choices had sauerkraut with it and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. She had never liked the stuff and hoped there was something that was doused in it.

"What will you be getting, my dear?" Dr. Mueller asked. When she looked up, she saw that he and Sheldon both had placed their menus down and seemed to be ready to order.

"Um..." She quickly scanned the menu but came up with nothing. "I don't know. What are you getting?"

"I'm getting the Schnitzel," Dominik answered.

"Oh, like Weiner schnitzel, right?" That sounded familiar to Penny.

"Careful, though. If you tell the waitress you wish to have that, then you will get it out of veal."

"Baby cow?" Penny frowned. Both Sheldon and Dominik nodded.

"However, the schnitzel wiener is made of pork and that is what I am getting."

"I think I'll get that, too." She pointed a finger at both men. "But if I say it the baby cow way, one of you better stop me." She put some menace in her voice and was satisfied with both men's eyes widened slightly and they nodded. With a satisfied grin, Penny looked at Sheldon and said, sweetly. "What are you getting, Moonpie?"

Sheldon glared at her, but choose not to say anything about the use of his Meemaw's nickname. Instead, he cleared his throat and answered, "I will be getting the Kasespatzle. It was one of my favorite German dishes from when I was here when I was younger. It is like macaroni and cheese, but served with roasted onions."

"Oh, that sounds good," Penny said. "I may have to try that sometime."

"It is quite good and I know of a place on the other side of town that serves the best Kasespatzle, well in my opinion anyway." Dr. Mueller spoke up. "I will have to take you both there sometime."

"I'd like that," Sheldon responded.  
"I would like that, too," Penny said with a smile. She was really liking this Dr. Mueller.

* * *

Later, after they had finished their meal and the plate cleared away, Dominik had to go his separate ways from Penny and Sheldon, saying he had things to do at the University and reminded Sheldon that he would see him the next day.

Penny looked up at her tall friend. "Soooo," she drew the word. "Now, what?" Earlier, she had felt tired and had wanted nothing more to go back to the hotel and her bed, but now, she felt wide-awake and wanted to do something.

"There are quite a few things we can do, Penny." Reaching into his bag, Sheldon pulled out a tourist guidebook, which Penny had no idea he had but wasn't surprised to see in his hand.

"Like what?"

"Well, we can always walk through the square and 'window shop', as you call it. There is also the Heidelberg Castle that we can visit."

"Ohh!" Penny did a little giddy dance. "A castle? Let's go!" She went to grab his arm, but he held up a long finger.

"Just wait a moment, Penny. I have actually designated a day this week for us to take a visit there."

"Oh," she said, slightly disappointed. She had wanted to go see the castle, now, but at least they were going to see it at some point.

"I'm sorry, Penny," Sheldon apologized. "I really didn't expect to do much sight-seeing today as we have just arrived in the country."

"It's okay, sweetie. We can go to the square you were talking about. It seems like fun. But I'll be looking forward to seeing that Castle!"

Sheldon gave her a smile. "I knew you would. That's why I planned an entire day around it."

Penny's heart started to beat faster. He had planned a day just for her? Usually events like this were all about him and they would only do things he was interested in, but this was showing how much he was changing and making room for her in his life.

"Thank you, Sheldon," Penny said softly. "It really means a lot that you would think of me like that."

Sheldon stood a little straighter, prouder. "You are my best friend, Penny. Of course, I would have your interests in mind when we are here. Also, if you like the trip to the Castle you will love what I have planned for us at the end of our trip."

Her eyes grew wide. "What is it?" Sheldon had something even better planned than visiting a  _freaking_  castle?

"I am not good at secrets, Penny, and you know this, but you also know that I am stubborn and I am going to refuse to tell you what it is."

"Fine," Penny pouted and crossed her arms. Sheldon just smirked and slid his guidebook back into his bag, right next to the French dictionary he would be presented Penny with at the end of their trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *all the information about food I got from a website and if what is said is not true, please let me know and I will fix it!


	17. Chapter 17

Penny practically pressed her nose to every shopping window they passed. Each one contained something she wanted. Shoes, purses, clothes. How come she couldn't be rich? Then, she wouldn't have to spend her days wanting. Stepping back from the latest window, she sighed longingly and walked beside Sheldon to the next one.

"Really, Penny, if you wish to buy something all you need to do is go inside." Surprisingly, Sheldon had been patient with her as they walked down the line of shops. Their progress had been slow and there was still a whole other side to walk.

"I would, if I had the money to buy everything I wanted," Penny said. "Right now, I have enough for a few souvenirs for the guys, but I haven't found the perfect things to get, yet."

"Ah, I see. But, Penny, you do know that this can be considered as a vacation of sorts for you, right?" Together they walked slowly down the sidewalk and Sheldon held his hands behind his back and looked down at Penny as he spoke.

"I suppose, I do."

"Then, that means, since it is  _your_ vacation, you may do whatever you like. You do not have to buy anything for our friends back home. Use your money on yourself while you are here. You may never get the chance to do so, again."

Penny stopped walking. "You know what, Sheldon. You're right!"

"Of course, I am," he said, smugly.

Without another word, Penny grabbed Sheldon's hand and tugged him into the nearest shop. Sheldon immediately started wondering if he should regret what he had said.

* * *

Despite having being out shopping for several hours, Penny and Sheldon returned to their hotel room with only one shopping bag. It contained a pair of shoes Penny swore went perfectly with one of the dresses she had brought. Of course, Sheldon knew nothing of fashion and what shoes went with what, so he said nothing as she made the purchase. However, he did comment on the height of the heel and warned Penny to the dangers of wearing something so high.

Penny ignored him, like usual.

Penny walked to her room and threw the bag containing her purchase on the bed before going to her suitcase and pulling out something more comfortable to wear. The day had been amazing, but now, she was feeling the effects of having barely any sleep and all she wanted to do was curl up somewhere and relax.

Sheldon had suggested ordering room service, so that it would save them the hassle of going out to get something, and Penny readily agreed. Lunch had seemed so long ago and her belly was protesting its emptiness.

"Tomorrow is my first day lecturing at the University, so you will be on your own for several hours," Sheldon said when she walked back into the living room in a pair of comfortable sweats and a tank top. He was sitting on the couch, on the left cushion, just as he did at his apartment.

"I think I'll manage." Penny plopped down next to him and smiled when she jostled Sheldon slightly. Instead of glaring and saying something rude, he just ignored it. Sheldon rarely  _ignored_  things. "I'll probably sleep in a bit."

"Ah, yes, you and your sleeping in until eleven," he replied with a slight smile.

"I think after today, I deserve a bit of sleep." To prove her point, she yawned loudly. "See? Planes and trains are not that comfortable to sleep in, you know."

"I agree with you there." A knock sounded at their door and Sheldon stood. "That would be our meal. I hope you don't mind that I ordered for you, Penny."

"Of course not." Penny leaned back on the couch and propped her feet on the coffee table in front of it, which was something Sheldon would not approve of once he turned around. "I know you know what I like and don't like, sweetie. Just like I know those things about you."

Sheldon opened the door and allowed the steward to wheel their meal into the room. With a smile, he picked up both silver platters and headed for the table and chairs located behind the couch, but Sheldon stopped him.

"We'll be eating our dinner on the couch, sir."

The man didn't even blink and changed direction to where Penny sat. She slid her feet of the table and the steward placed their meal on it. Whatever Sheldon ordered for them, it smelled delicious.

"Thank you," she said.

"Yes, thank you." Sheldon tipped the man and without another word, he left the room.

"Well," Sheldon joined her on the couch and smiled. "Dinner is served."

* * *

Howard settled into Sheldon's spot and made sure to rub his butt all over it. It really  _was_  the best seat in the apartment. He settled into it even more and placed his feet on the coffee table, which would have totally earned him a strike if Sheldon had been there.

On the table, sat various types of food. None of which were the ones normally eaten on a Sunday night. Howard, Raj and Leonard were taking full advantage of having no Sheldon around.

"You know, I'm glad I wasn't picked to go to Germany," said Leonard from his armchair. "I'm having more of a vacation, now, than I would have if I were with him. I feel sorry for Penny, though. I don't think she realized what she was getting into when she said she'd go."

"She's probably trying to catch a plane back to the US," said Howard with a smile. Leonard and Howard laughed. Raj remained quiet.

Sheldon got on his nerves, just as he did with everyone, but lately he had noticed how close he and Penny had gotten. Raj doubted that Penny was regretting her decision to go with the physicist. Since he could not speak in front of Penny, he had taken to observing her, instead. The way she acted around Sheldon had changed in the past several months and if Raj didn't know any better, he could have sworn that Penny was developing _feelings_  for Sheldon.

Raj gathered up his garbage and walked over to the garbage can beside the refrigerator. A water bottle soared through the air, hit the can and fell behind it.

"Dammit, so close!" Howard cursed. "Raj, buddy, can you throw that away for me?"

The Indian man mumbled to himself and moved the garbage, so that he could get the bottle. Shockingly, the bottle wasn't the only thing back there. There were three tiny scraps of paper. With Sheldon being Sheldon, Raj was surprised to see them there.

He picked them and saw that they were folded.  _Just like the slips of paper Sheldon had in that hat when he picked who would be going to Germany with him..._  Raj thought.

Curious, he decided to open them, to see who had been forgotten to be thrown away and his eyes widened. On each scrap of paper ,written in Sheldon's meticulous hand, was the name  _Penny._

 


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Together, Sheldon and Penny wound down from their hectic day and enjoyed a quiet meal. Sheldon had ordered them bratwurst, which was one of the most popular foods in Germany. Penny enjoyed the meal and despite the deterrent from routine, Sheldon seemed to enjoy it as well.

"I think you will enjoy what we will be having for dessert, Penny." Sheldon placed his empty plate on the table and dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin. Penny had yet to finish her meal, but the lure of a dessert was too much.

"Oh! What is it?" She placed her plate on the table and reached for other still covered platters. Sheldon moved the plate out of her reach and she pouted.

"Aren't you going to finish your dinner?" He raised an eyebrow and looked at the food still left on the plate.

"No. You said there was dessert and now, I want that." Penny clapped her hands together in eagerness. "Is it German chocolate cake? That's one of my favorites."

"Penny," Sheldon said in a tone that meant a lecture was going to happen. "Contrary to popular belief, German chocolate cake did  _not_  originate in Germany. Instead the name comes from the American chocolate maker, Sam German, who created the cake in 1852."

"So," she started slowly. "What you're telling me is we're  _not_  having German chocolate cake for dessert?"

Sheldon sighed, again. "Honestly, Penny, is that all you got from my lecture?"

She shrugged. "Pretty much."

"To answer your question, Penny, we are not having cake for dessert." He lifted up the silver dome. "We are having something called Wiener Apfelstrudel. Its apple strudel drizzled with vanilla sauce and it's delicious."

Penny's mouth watered at the sight of the dessert. "I love apples!"

Sheldon smiled. "I know you do. That is why I ordered this particular dessert. Now, may I cut you a piece?"

"Yes!" Penny eagerly shoved a plate in Sheldon's direction. He took it with a slight smile and cut Penny a generous piece of the strudel, then cut himself one. Between the two of them, they had already eaten over half the strudel with their two pieces.

Penny took her first bite and moaned. She didn't think she had ever tasted something so good and was already thinking of ways she could smuggle some into her suitcase when they left.

"I am assuming that you are enjoying the strudel," Sheldon said after swallowing a bite of his dessert.

"I love it!" She said through a mouthful and ignored the look Sheldon gave her. "We should have this every night."

"Germany has many more things to offer in terms of dessert, Penny. I'm sure there are plenty other things that you will enjoy. We won't be able to try them all in the time we are here, but I was thinking that we could try the best this country has to offer."

Penny saw in the way he spoke, that he had obvious love for Germany and she was glad that he had an opportunity to visit the place, again. Tears sprang to her eyes, unexpectantly, when she remembered that it could have very well been Leonard who would have been chosen to go on this trip and he would have asked her to go. She would have turned him down, of course, knowing that he would try to make it some kind of romantic get away.

"Penny, is there something wrong?" Sheldon looked alarmed as he placed his plate down to look at her fully.

"Uh no." Quickly she wiped away the tears. "This strudel is just so good that it brought tears to my eyes." She had to wince at how horrible that lie sounded. Sheldon had told lies better than that!

"I see." Sheldon, of course, didn't believe her, he had an IQ of 187, after all, but surprisingly, he didn't pursue the real reason why she was crying. Instead, he picked up his plate and finished the rest of the meal. Penny did the same and forced herself to not think about how close Sheldon had been to not being able to be here.

**~S-P~**

Sheldon had known that Penny hadn't been crying over the strudel. It  _was_  delicious, but not  _that_  delicious and Penny didn't easily cry. Something had upset her and Sheldon had wished he were better equipped to deal with emotions. He was getting better, but he had yet to master it. Penny was important to him and he found that it  _hurt_  to see her upset. It was like her tears had caused a stabbing pain in his heart and if he hadn't visited his doctor before their trip to Germany, he would have thought something was wrong with his health.

Looking over at his friend, he saw her take the last bite of her strudel and yawn loudly. Their day had been a long, exhausting one and Sheldon was feeling the effects of it now, as well, even though it wasn't yet his bedtime.

"Are you ready to retire to your sleeping quarters, Penny?" He asked and stood, gathering up all the plates and placed them on the try the deliveryman had left for them. He wheeled the thing out of the door, where they would gather it and take it back down to the kitchen. He, however, saved the rest of the strudel, knowing that it could be eaten for breakfast.

"Yeah, I'm pretty beat." Penny stood and stretched.

"Well, then, I will bid you good night and I will probably not see you until tomorrow afternoon, as I will be getting up very early to head to the University."

"What should I do until then?"

"You can do whatever you like, Penny. See the sights. Maybe go shopping some more. The hotel has an indoor pool, if you brought along a swimsuit."

"Well, I don't want to do any sight-seeing without you, so I may just have to visit the pool and maybe learn some more German while I'm down there." She flashed him a smile and for some reason, his heart began to race at the sight. He had to; once again, remind himself that there was nothing wrong with his health and that Penny had been doing this to him for a long time.

"I am sure you'll enjoy it." Sheldon smiled in return.

"I guess, this is goodnight, then."

"Yes, I suppose. Goodnight, Penny."

"Goodnight, Sheldon." They stood there staring at one another for a while and Sheldon wondered why Penny had not moved to go to her room. She was obviously tired.

At that moment, Penny moved and had leapt to wrap her arms around him in a hug. Sheldon tensed, but she held him tighter. "It's just me, sweetie," she mumbled into his shirt.

"But what is the occasion?" He asked, and his arms remained glued to his sides.

"This is me thanking you for bringing me to Germany. It's been wonderful, so far."

Slowly, he allowed himself to hug her back. "I am glad you are here with me," he said, honestly. They stood in the embrace for a couple minutes and it seemed like neither one wanted to move away. Sheldon didn't know what to think about that.

"Well," Penny was the one to break their contact. Surprisingly. "I should head to bed. Good luck with your class; tomorrow and I'll see you later." Penny, once again, surprised him when she went on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. Before he could say anything, she had already retreated to her room and had shut the door.

An hour later, Sheldon lay in bed, unable to sleep. His cheek still tingled from where Penny had kissed him. If it had been several months, earlier, he would have said it was tingling because of the germs, but he was different, now. Penny had kissed his cheek and he had  _liked_ it. Immensely.

**~S-P~**

**8:00am** **(Germany)** **/11:00pm** **(Pasadena)**

Sheldon was surprised when his cell phone began to ring on his way to the University. None of the guys had even bothered to text, let alone, call him while he had been gone. It stung a little to know that they wouldn't miss him. Sheldon was  _anything_  but stupid.

Looking down, he saw that it was Raj's number. "Hello?"

"Hey, Sheldon. How's Germany?" The Indian's voice came clearly through the phone's speakers.

"Germany is doing well," he said with slight suspicion. There was no Raj had just wanted to have a friendly chat. Something was going on here. "Is there a reason for your call, Raj?"

"Actually there is. Earlier this evening, I was over at your apartment with Leonard and Howard and I found something behind your garbage."

Sheldon's eyes bugged out. "Oh, dear God, what was it? Mold? A mouse?" He was trying hard to stay calm.

"No, nothing like that. I found three slips of paper..."

"Leonard must have missed the garbage, then. Honestly, that is no reason to call me."

"Leonard didn't miss. You did."

"Oh, please, R-"

"All the papers said 'Penny'."

Sheldon stopped walking and held his phone in shock. There was no way Raj had found out. Did that mean the other guys knew as well? How could he have been so careless?

"I think I get it, now," Raj continued to speak. "You wanted her there with you and I don't blame you."

"I did." Sheldon had no reason to lie.

"This is a great opportunity for you, Sheldon."

"I know. Dr. Mueller has said that I may ev-" He started with excitement, but Raj cut him off. Which was very rude of him.

"I didn't mean academically."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about the pieces of paper, but if you need help or just need to talk to someone about...things, then call me. All right? I know I haven't treated you the best, but we're still friends."

Raj had always been the kindest out of the three guys to him and Sheldon had considered replacing Leonard with him in his rank of friends several times. Well, now, he made it official. Behind Penny, Raj was now one of his closest friends.

"I will. Thank you, Raj."

"No problem, Sheldon. Now, I need to get to bed. It's late here and I have work in the morning."

"Wait, don't go." When Raj didn't hang up, he continued. "You said you only found three pieces of paper?"

"Yes. Just three. The other one must have made it into the garbage."

"And you said they all said Penny's name?"

Raj sighed, getting annoyed, now. "Yes."

"Well, if it's any consolation, but the other slip of paper had  _your_ name on it. You were the only one out of the three of you whom I wanted to accompany me."

"Really?" Raj's tone changed to a happy surprised.

"Yes." And Sheldon was glad Raj was halfway across the world and couldn't see his face twitching.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Ah, Doctor Cooper, you're early." Dominik Mueller greeted him the moment he stepped foot into the science building of the university. There were several students scattered through out the hallway when Dr. Mueller had greeted him, and now, they were looking at him in wide-eyed wonder. Sheldon immediately felt smug. They obviously knew who he was and knew of his numerous achievements back in California.

Just as quick as that feeling of smugness came to him, it was gone. Glancing at a pair of students to his left, he saw that they were whispering to one another. What if they didn't know him for his achievements, but of his failure? His one failure.

_"Is he the one who...?"_

_"Doctor Cooper didn't he...?"_

_"Didn't he go to the...?"_

_"I heard that one of his experiments..."_

As he walked up to where Dominik stood, Sheldon caught snatches of different conversations and quickened his steps. They had to be talking about the Arctic Incident. Why else would they be whispering? Why else would they not say his praises aloud, if that was what they were whispering amongst themselves? His ears burned with embarrassment, but he would not let it show that these people were getting to him.

"Good morning, Doctor Mueller," he greeted and ignored the whispers behind him. They may know him for his failure, but once he spoke to them, they would realize how brilliant he was.

"I'm glad you're early, Sheldon." Dominik ushered him into an office, which looked to be his, and gestured for him to take a seat. Now that they were no longer among the students, Mueller used Sheldon's first name. "I want to go over your schedule for the week before I send you to your first lecture of the day."

"All right." Sheldon lifted his messenger bag over his head and set it next to his feet. He had already memorized the schedule his old professor had given him last night, but it didn't hurt to look it over, again.

When Dr. Mueller settled in his seat, he took out a pair of reading glasses from one of the drawers in his desk and turned the sheet of paper in front of him around so that Sheldon could see it from where he sat. "You'll be having your first lecture in about..." He looked at his watch. "Twenty minutes. Its located in room 115, which is just done the hall a bit. The class is relatively small, with only about thirty students, and they are all eager to hear you speak, Sheldon." He looked over the tops of his glasses and smiled. "Each lecture will last about two hours, which you already know. You will have three of them today, and all in the same classroom."

Sheldon nodded, already knowing everything the other man was telling him, but had large respect for his former professor, and didn't say anything.

"You will have two lectures before your lunch break at 12:45, and then, at 2:15, you will have your last lecture of the day." Dominik sat back in his chair and took off his glasses. "Tomorrow, will only have two lectures, and they will happen before lunch. So, you will have the rest of the day to spend time with your beautiful Penny."

Sheldon's mouth went dry at the mention of Penny, especially the mention that Penny was his. "Excuse me, sir, but Penny is just my friend."

"A female friend that you brought to Europe with you, hmm?" Sheldon wasn't good at reading people's facial expressions, but he saw something in his friend's eyes that he wasn't he liked. It was almost as if he knew something that Sheldon  _didn't_. Doctor Dominik Mueller may have been his professor when he was much younger, but he knew he suppressed the man, now, in intelligence. So, admitting that the man knew more than him on something was quite distressing.

"Yes, that is exactly what she is. If you must know, Doctor. I used a completely fair way to decide which of my friends would accompany me here, and it just so happens that Penny was chosen." He hoped that when his face twitched at the lie, Dominik didn't know that was the way to tell that Sheldon had said an untruth.

"I see, Sheldon. Did you know that Ms. Penny and I have met before?"

"Yes, she was the one to tell me of your first meeting back at CalTech." Sheldon's brain tried to work out why he had asked him that question, but despite his vast intelligence, he could not.

"Well, she told me something that day, something I'm sure you would like to know." Dr. Mueller leaned forward and placed his elbows on his desk. "You see, she told me that she was in l-" He was interrupted by an annoying beeping coming from his wrist.

Sheldon had been listening so intently, to what the other man was saying, that when Dominik's watch started to beep, he jumped in his chair.

"It looks like you haven't to be at your classroom in five minutes." He pushed a button and the beeping stopped. "I set an alarm just in case I talked too much, and made you late." He stood from his desk and walked around to the door. "Come along. We'll speak of Penny, later, but right now, you have some work to do."

* * *

Penny woke up at around eleven. It didn't matter that she was in a foreign country that offered many sights to see, she was still going to sleep in. Stretching, she slid out of bed and made a beeline for the bathroom. She would take a shower, order some lunch and then, head out to do a bit of sightseeing and shopping. Ever since Sheldon had mentioned going to Germany, she had started saving up money so that if she were chosen to go, then she would have some to spend on souvenirs.

After her shower, she ordered her lunch, which was delivered to her room, but before she could partake in her meal, her phone rang. Picking it up from its place on the table, Penny looked at it and groaned. Leonard. "Hello?" She answered.

"Uh, hey, Penny. It's Leonard." Even half a world away, she would know that nasally voice, anywhere.

"I know. I looked at my phone before answering." Leaning back on the couch, she used her chin and shoulder to hold the phone in place and finally, dug into her lunch.

"Oh, okay. Well, how are you?"

"I'm good. I'm eating lunch, right now, and Sheldon's at the University for his first lecture." Which reminded her, she hadn't texted him good luck, yet. As soon as she got off the phone with Leonard, she would do just that, even though she knew he would be done with at least one of his lectures.

"So, are you ready to come home, yet?" Leonard chuckled.

Penny set down her food and gripped the phone in her hand, not liking the way he had sounded. "What do you mean, Leonard? I told you, I was fine. Why would I want to go home?" She knew his answer even before he said it.

"W-Well, I thought Sheldon was driving you crazy, and you'd be ready to hop on the first place back to California."

"You know what, Leonard? Sheldon and I are having  _loads_  of fun here, and he hasn't irritated me once, which is more than I can say for you, right now." Her phone creaked in her hand as she squeezed it tightly.

"Uh, I'm sorry, Penny. I just-"

"Isn't it like almost three in the morning there, Leonard? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I, uh, I just wanted to talk wi-"

"Goodnight, Leonard." She hung up.

* * *

It wasn't until Penny was dressed and walking down the street to the shopping district when she remembered to text Sheldon.

_I know this is late, sweetie, but good luck today! :)_

His reply was almost immediately.  _You are very late, Penny, as I am preparing for my last lecture of the day. I am assuming you slept in, then._

_You are correct, Moonpie! ;)_

_If I did not have to stand in front of room full of students, soon, Penny, I would lecture you about calling me Moonpie when I have asked you repeatedly not to._

_Sorry! Can't help it._

_I see. Well, Penny I must go. I should return to the hotel around 4:45. Would you like to go out for dinner this evening?_

_Sure, that sounds great! :)_

_Good. I'll see you, then. Goodbye, Penny._

_Bye, Sheldon!_

It must have been fate, because the moment Penny's eyes left her phone, they landed on a shop window that displayed a dress that she  _knew_  she just had to have. It would be perfect for their dinner late that evening. Sheldon would probably dress casually, but Penny wanted to look beautiful for him.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter 20**

It was just a simple green dress; one she knew matched her eyes perfectly. It was nothing extravagant or reveling, like one of the dresses she had packed, but Penny knew that cut and style of the dress would show off her best assets and make her look beautiful. The question was, though, would Sheldon even notice? Would he even notice that she had dressed up for him, or would he just think it was just Penny being Penny?

But she didn't dwell on that as she bought the dress, which was pretty cheap and didn't take as much of her spending money she thought it would. It made buying it even better, and Penny knew she would never regret the purchase. Not even if Sheldon didn't notice.

After the purchase, Penny continued to window shop, even though she knew she had bought all that she needed that day. The nice day, and the fact that she was actually  _shopping_  in Germany had almost made her forget about Leonard's call, earlier. Almost.

 _Who the hell did he think he was?_   _Already assuming I wanted to go home? Really?_  It pissed her off all over, again. Leonard claimed to know her, but with that phone call, he had shown that he didn't. He had only done it to make himself feel better, Penny knew. Before they had gone to Germany together, Penny and Sheldon had been spending a lot of time together and that was clearly making Leonard jealous.

There was a time she may have considered dating Leonard, especially over the months the boys had been in the Arctic, but when they came back and the truth of what they had done to Sheldon, had quickly changed her mind. Penny knew that she really only had considered dating Leonard because he made her feel good, he told her she was pretty. But there had to be more to a relationship than that. She was sick of being in relationships like that. Penny was more than just her looks, and she wished people say it. She may not be very smart, but she wasn't dumb. She liked to play video games, could kick everyone's ass at Halo every time, except fro Sheldon's. She aspired to be an actress and one day would like to write a screenplay.

 _That_  was Penny.

It was close to four when she finally made it back to the hotel. She hadn't eaten since she had woken up that morning and now, she was starving. However, she knew that they would be going out a little while after Sheldon returned and decided to not anything until it was time for dinner.

So, she flicked on the TV and saw, to her dismay, that only two of the channels were in English and nothing interesting was on them. Turning the TV, she stood and stretched. What else was there to do? She had already done a bit of sight-seeing, which hadn't been as enjoyable as when Sheldon had been with her. She missed his know-it-all self.

Penny was actually thinking of visiting him at the University, but knew that this wasn't like his job in California. She couldn't just appear at his office with lunch. Here, he was an honored guest and was probably being kept busy with various things throughout the day. Maybe if she ever got the chance to talk to Dr. Mueller, she could surprise Sheldon one day. But until then, she was stuck in the hotel room, watching the time slowly past by. Penny never thought she would be  _bored_  in Germany.

**~S~P~**

Penny jolted awake when she heard the sound of someone opening the hotel door. Sitting up, she peered over the top of the couch just in time to see Sheldon walk through the door and shut it after himself. His eyes went right to her and he smiled, a genuine smile, like he had missed her while he was off doing science stuff.

"Hello, Penny," he greeted walking over to the edge of the couch. "How was your day?" Polite as ever.

"Great!"

Sheldon looked her up and down and Penny knew that he was looking at her slightly disheveled appearance. "I hope you did not sleep the day away, Penny. Heidelberg has many things to offer and the inside of this hotel room is not one of those things."

Penny couldn't help but smile as she swung her legs until her feet touched the floor and stood up. "Don't worry, Sheldon. I didn't sleep the day away. I did some sight-seeing and a little bit of shopping, too. I just fell asleep waiting for you to get back."

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I would like to take a shower and change before we go out to eat."

Penny stretched. "I need to change, too." The green dress was lying on her bed, begging to be worn and she couldn't wait to put it on. Luckily, she had even brought a pair of shoes from her collection at home that would go with the dress perfectly.

"All right. So, should we plan on meeting right here in thirty minutes?"

Penny rolled her eyes. Of course, he would have to plan when they would meet, but she supposed he wouldn't be Sheldon if he didn't. "You got it. You're lucky I took my shower earlier today, or you would be waiting more than thirty minutes."

Sheldon smiled. "I know, Penny. I would have adjusted, accordingly, though."

"I know you would have, sweetie. Now, shoo. Go take your shower so we can get going. I'm starving!"

Sheldon, smartly, decided not to remark on that and retreated into his bedroom, closing the door softly behind him.

Penny went to her own room and began her preparations for the night. She knew that, even though she would be dressing nicely, Sheldon would not be taking her somewhere overly fancy...or overly romantic, so there was no need to do her hair in some elaborate style. Instead, she pulled a little of her gold locks to the side and clipped it in place with a silver clip she had brought along. Her makeup would be light and in no time, she was ready to put the dress and shoes on.

Penny walked into the living room with four minutes to spare. Sheldon would be shocked to see her waiting for _him_. It would probably be the only time that would be the case. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face once he stepped from his room.

However, Penny was the one with the shocked face once Sheldon opened the door and stepped out. Gone were the mismatched shirts and plaid pants. They had been replaced by a blue, plaid button up shirt (that matched his eyes, Penny couldn't help but notice) and a pair of black dress slacks.

"You actually match, Sheldon!" Penny stood and got a better look at her friend.

"I figured since we would be staying a different country for some time, and going to eat in a nice restaurant, I would change the way I dress. For now. I'll still be dressing the same when I go to the University and of course, when we arrive back home, as well."

Penny didn't want to think about returning to Pasadena. That was another world to her, now. Germany was like a dream. Here she didn't have to work at her crappy waitressing job and didn't have to worry about how she would pay the next month's rent. Here, she was able to spend time with Sheldon. Her best friend and the man she-

"Penny, are you ready to go?" He offered her an arm, like they were in some old movie. "And by the way, Penny, I think you look absolutely beautiful."

Penny felt her face start to heat up. When had been the last time a man had made her blush? Not for a long while. It felt good. It made her feel like she was more than she had been back in California.

**~S~P~**

The restaurant that went to was not within walking distance from the hotel, so they had to take a cab to get there. Of course, everything was in German. Even the menus. And Penny hadn't brought her German-English dictionary along, so Sheldon decided that he would have to sit close so that he could tell her all of the different choices. He was so close; she could feel his breath on her shoulder when he turned to look at her.

Penny didn't mind. At all.

Once they made their choices, Sheldon didn't scoot away. Instead, he stayed close and they talked in low voices like everyone else at the restaurant. Penny couldn't remember being on a more romantic dinner and this one wasn't even met to mean anything. Or had it? Surely Sheldon didn't have feelings for her. Despite all of annoying tendencies, he could still be the perfect gentleman and that was all this was, now. Sheldon being the perfect gentleman to her.

"So, how was your first day?" She asked, hoping that it would get her mind off of the confusing thoughts swirling around in her head.

"It was...all right."

The hesitation got Penny, immediately.

"What happened?" If someone had done something bad to Sheldon, she would go up there tomorrow morning and kick their asses.

"The lectures went as well as I hoped they would, but it seems my Arctic Expedition is still being talked about among the students." He bowed his head and he clenched his fists around his fork.

A surge of anger for what Leonard, Howard and Raj had done coursed through Penny. It wasn't until, now, that she fully understand what their little 'prank' had done to Sheldon and his career. He was an amazing scientist, the smartest person she had ever met and now, he would always have that blemish on his record. There would be no getting rid of it...and no hiding from it, either.

"I'm sorry, Sheldon." She placed a hand on his shoulder, glad that he didn't shrug it off. "I am  _so_  sorry."

"It's quite all right, Penny." He straightened. "It's not your fault and as I recall, you were the only one who comforted me in that time of grief. I greatly appreciated it."

"That's what friends do, Sheldon. They're there for each other."

"You go far and beyond what a friend does, and I am glad for it." He smiled at her, a smile with only a hint of sadness. "Now, enough of that. We are both in a lovely country. Let's not bring things from the past to our dinner."

"Agreed. But, if you ever need to talk...about anything. I'm here." She covered her hand with his and looked him straight in his blue eyes. "Don't forget. You are a brilliant man, Sheldon."  _And I love you._

**~S~P~**

The rest of their evening went by fast. Too fast for Penny. She and Sheldon had been having such a good time, and she had even gotten him to laugh a few times. Not his breathy laugh, either. But a low chuckle that did something to Penny's stomach every time she heard it. So, she vowed to hear it more often.

"I had a lovely evening, Penny," Sheldon said when they made it back to their hotel room. It wasn't that late, but Sheldon's first day at the University seemed to be taking its toll on him. His eyes drooped and in the elevator, he started to yawn.

"I had a lovely time, too, Sheldon." She smiled. "Maybe...we could do something like that when we get back home? Go out to dinner. Just the two of us." She bit her lip, hoping that he wouldn't think she was proposing they go on a date, even though that was what she  _was_  doing, and refuse.

"I think that would be...fun." The word sounded a little odd coming from Sheldon's mouth, since he was saying about something that didn't involve video games or comic books.

"Great!" She beamed. "Well, I should let you get to bed. You have another full day tomorrow, don't you?"

"Actually, I have only two lectures in the morning and then, I will have the rest of the day off. After lunch would you like to visit the Heidelberg Castle? I did tell you that I planned a whole day around it, but if you don't want to go, then I can always change the plans." The Sheldon of California would not have been willing to change his plans for anything.

"Of course I still want to go to the castle! I've been looking forward to it all day, actually."

"Perfect." He looked pleased. "I should return to the hotel around 12:30. We will eat, and then, we can go. Should we plan on leaving around 1:30?"

"Sure," Penny said. Anytime would have been fine with her, as long as they were able to go. "I'll order room service before you get here, so that you can come back and eat. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good, Penny, and I'll let you decide what we should eat."

"But how will I know if it's something you'll like or don't like?"

Sheldon clasped his hands behind his back. "Penny, I believe you know what I like to eat."

"Yeah, in California! German food is a little different than a Barbeque Bacon Cheeseburger, with everything on the side."

"I trust you, Penny."

Those four words had Penny's heart racing. Since the Arctic Incident, Sheldon had been reluctant to trust, anyone, and she knew she still didn't trust the guys fully, yet. Probably never would. And even though, she hadn't had anything to do with the Arctic, it still felt good to hear that he trusted her.

"Okay, I'll get something we'll both like, then."

"Good. Now, I must go to bed. I have an early start tomorrow."

"Okay." Penny stepped closer. Yesterday, she had given him a hug, today she felt brave. Going up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Dangerously close to the corner of his mouth. Sheldon didn't even jump back and when she sank back to her feet, he didn't even move to wipe it off. Instead, he looked stunned.

"Goodnight, Sheldon." With one last smile, she turned and walked back to her room. A few seconds later, she heard 'Goodnight, Penny.'

**~S~P~**

Raj knew Sheldon had been lying about the pieces of paper. All of the pieces had Penny's name on them...and Raj wasn't upset about it. Of the three of them, he knew he tolerated Sheldon the most and wouldn't have minded a trip to Germany. But for the past few months, he had observed the little thing that had been going on between Sheldon and Penny and was glad that they would get the chance to, maybe, explore it while they were on their trip.

Leonard wasn't in Germany.

Raj sat in his chair in his office and instead of doing work, wondered if there was anything he could do that would help Penny and Sheldon get together.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**Chapter 21**

Sheldon didn't move to his room right away. Instead, he felt like his feet were glued to the carpet as he watched Penny sashay away into her own room after kissing him on the cheek. Sheldon knew Penny was a very affectionate person and in the few years they had been friends, he began to expect her touches. Sometimes, he even  _anticipated_  them. Kisses were another matter. The human mouth was a cesspool of many different types of germs and Sheldon made sure no one's mouth ever get near his person. Except for Penny. Tonight hadn't been the first time Penny had kissed his cheek, but it had been the first time her lips had almost touched his.

What would he have done if Penny had kissed him on the mouth? The thought nearly caused his brain to short circuit and his heart rate to accelerate. Was he getting sick now or was this how he would always react to Penny's proximity, or even just  _thinking_  about Penny's proximity? Oh, good Lord. There was no way this could be healthy. How did Leonard, Raj and Howard deal with the multiple females they became attracted to each week? Sheldon was having a difficult time dealing with just the one.

With a final look at Penny's closed door, Sheldon walked into his own room and shut the door softly. On the table by his bed sat a journal. His Germany Journal as he called it. Inside, he recorded his events of the day while he was in Germany. Underneath today's events. Sheldon wrote:

_Penny kissed me on the cheek before retiring for the night. I enjoyed it immensely and wish that it will happen, again, in the_ _foreseeable_ _future._

After that, he quickly changed into his Tuesday night pajamas, slipped under the covers and went to sleep. Tomorrow would be another day of lectures and then, he and Penny would be off to the Heidelberg castle. For once, Sheldon found himself looking forward more to a day walking around with Penny than his lectures of his work.

What was the world coming to?

Sheldon reminded himself to look up the protocols for when the apocalypse happened, because surely the world must be ending, soon.

**P~S**

Penny pressed her ear to the door once she had shut it after kissing Sheldon. She was sure she would hear him shriek and run to the bathroom, but she didn't. Instead, she just heard him sigh after awhile and then walk to his own room. Maybe she had broken him.

Oh, God.

Penny didn't know what she would with herself if she had broken him. But he had seemed to be acting a little different while they were here. Maybe it was because they were in a different country and all of his daily routines were thrown out the window. Penny was surprised that he hadn't demanded to have his burger, tonight. She was glad, though, not because she didn't know where to get a barbeque bacon cheeseburger, but because this was her chance to try new things out in a new country and he was letting her. Which was a large step for Sheldon?

Once she heard Sheldon's door softly closed, Penny stepped away from the door and began to undress. She was reluctant to take off the dress that had made her feel beautiful for Sheldon. He had even told her so. Normally, he didn't take notice to those things. Penny could have dressed in just a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and Sheldon wouldn't have batted an eye. Penny was Penny, no matter what she wore. But he went out of his way (and probably comfort zone) to tell her that she looked beautiful.

Penny slid under the covers, exhaustion settling in, even though she hadn't done much that day besides shop, sleep and eat. She reached for the phone to check for messages. Her family in Nebraska knew about her trip to Germany and her mother had called, skeptical, that she was going with one of her neighbors. The 'crazy one' she had called him, but Penny quickly reassured her that Sheldon wasn't crazy and that she knew she would have a wonderful time with him, which was something she probably wouldn't have said a few years ago.

She quickly answered her mother and sister's texts, telling her that she was having a great time. There was also an apology text from Leonard, but she ignored it. She was still mad at him and not ready to forgive. There was also a text from Raj, which surprised her. They never really texted before, despite Raj being unable to speak with her.

_How is spending time in Germany with Sheldon? :)_

The smile face was probably added so Penny didn't think he was trying to be an asshole. He really wanted to know how things were going. She smiled. Raj could be such a sweetie when he wasn't drunk.

_It's been great! :) tomorrow he's taking Queen P to a real castle!_

Penny set the phone down on the table beside her bed and turned on her side to get ready for sleep, but jumped when her phone went off. It was another text from Raj. She forgot that it was only around two in the afternoon there and not eleven.

_Awesome! Your idea or his?_

_His. He planned a whole day for it! :)_

This time she set the phone down on her chest and anticipated the next time it vibrated. If Raj wanted to talk, or text, while not being an asshole, then she would continue to reply back to him until she could no longer keep her eyes open. She did think it was weird, though, that he was messaging her, at all.

_Doesn't sound like Sheldon. He's actually doing something for another person?_

_Hey! He does that a lot, actually!_

_When it concerns you_

_What is that supposed to mean?_

_Oh nothing..._

_Rajesh Koothrapalli, if I knew you would talk to me on the phone I would call your ass up right now!_

_No need to use the full name. I was just curious. ;)_

Penny narrowed her eyes at the small screen. Something was up. She typed up a quick reply.

_What's going on?_

_Nothing. I just wanted to know how you and Sheldon were doing. Now I should let you get to sleep though._

_This conversation isn't over and if I have Howard texting me next, then I DEFINITELY know something is going on._

_Don't worry he won't. He won't even know we had this conversation. Goodnight._

This had to Penny's weirdest text conversation and encounter with the Indian man. Ever. If only he would talk to her if she called, because she would be getting to the bottom of whatever was going on right at that moment.

_Goodnight Raj. Thanks for the text._

_No problem. Have fun with Sheldon! :)_

Penny officially put that conversation down as one of the weirdest ones she's had with one of the boys, including Sheldon. Maybe when they got back to the States, Penny would buy some beers and invite Raj over for a little chat.

Connecting her phone to the charger, she placed it back on the table. This time if it vibrated, she'd want until the morning to answer. Right now, she was exhausted and needed sleep so that she was well rested for their trip to the castle tomorrow.

**S~P**

Sheldon woke up before his alarm by three minutes, putting him in a good mood, knowing that the rest of the day should go by smoothly. Well, at the least, he would be on time. He slipped from the bed and made his way to the bathroom to take his morning shower. When he exited his room, twenty minutes later, Sheldon was surprised to see Penny curled up on the couch, still in her robe, hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee.

"Morning, Sheldon," she smiled warmly. "I couldn't sleep, so I got up and ordered us some breakfast." She gestured to the silver platter in front of her. "I hope you like French toast."

Sheldon opened his mouth, but Penny held up a finger.

"Don't you dare say its oatmeal day or something. We're in a different country and your routines can be point to the side for at least this week."

"I was just going to say, thank you Penny."

Penny looked like she was about to keep arguing, but then realized what Sheldon had said. "Oh. You're welcome, sweetie. Now, come over and eat!" She patted the cushion next to her and took another large sip of her coffee.

"I got you some orange juice, too, since I'm never giving you coffee, again." She winked and he rolled his eyes before carefully dishing out his breakfast. It was still of acceptable temperature and figured that she had gotten up around the same time he did to order the food.

"Thank you, again, Penny," he said. "Do you see, now, why I trust you to order our lunch later? You know what I like and what I don't like."

"It's only because I'm your waitress." Penny tried to wave off his compliment, not used to getting very many from him.

"No," he said, voice soft. "It is because you're my best friend."

Penny took another sip of her coffee and blinked her eyes, hoping that Sheldon hadn't noticed that the statement had brought tears to her eyes. When they had first met, she had never thought he would say those words to her.

"You're my best friend, too, Sheldon. You have been for awhile, now."

"Leonard gave up his right to that position a long time ago." Sheldon was meticulously cutting his French toast into perfect squares. "I hope you do not think that you took his spot because I needed someone to fill it." This time he looked at Penny.

 _God, those eyes_. _Focus, Penny!_

"You have proven yourself multiple times over the years of your loyalty to me." Sheldon winced. "My apologies, that sounded as if I lorded over you in some way. I ju-"

"I know what you meant, sweetie." Penny placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled, warmly.

Sheldon didn't say anything, but returned her smile and resumed eating his breakfast. When he was finished, he gathered all of the dishes, including Penny's empty coffee cup, and placed them on the cart to be picked up later. He slipped his messenger bag over his head and glanced at his watch. He would not have to leave for another five minutes.

"So, what will you do while I'm gone, Penny?"

Penny shrugged. "Honestly, I'll probably go back to bed for a little bit. Then, I'll get ready and order our lunch. Nothing exciting. I'm saving all of my energy for when you get back."

"Ah, yes. The Castle. I am quite looking forward to our outing. So much so that I hope my lectures go by quickly." Sheldon's eyes widened, surprised that he had actually said that aloud. Glancing at Penny, he saw that she was just as surprised.

"Really?" She asked and stood up.

"You know that I cannot lie, Penny. Did my face twitch when I spoke?"

"No." She still looked a bit skeptical.

"I am very much looking forward to spending another day with you." No twitches or tics. What he had said was absolutely, 100% true.

Penny smiled wide, wider than he had ever seen her smile. "I am, too. This whole trip has been amazing so far, and I am so glad that I was lucky enough to be picked to come with."

"I am, too. Spending time in Germany with Howard would have proven to be a terrible experience and Leonard would annoy me very quickly with his whining and pining for you. Raj would not have been a bad choice, but I am glad that you were the name I pulled."

Something in Penny's expression made Sheldon think he had said something wrong. Quickly, he went over the entire conversation in his head and couldn't figure out what it could be.

"You said Leonard would pine for me?" Penny crossed her arms. "I thought he was over that since, you know, I nearly kicked his ass for what they did to you in the Arctic and rejected him."

"Oh, Penny." Sheldon rolled his eyes. "You will forever be the prize Leonard wants to win. Nothing will change that, unfortunately. Consider yourself lucky that you do not share the same living space as him."

It irritated Sheldon to no end whenever Leonard brought up the subject of Penny and made it seem like he deserved to have her, like she was merely an object to be obtained. Sheldon knew Penny was worth much more than that, but somehow he kept his mouth shut on the matter and allowed Leonard to whine, which Sheldon knew was very generous of him considering the things that Leonard and the rest of the guys did to him just for a laugh.

"He called me yesterday." Penny sat back down on the couch with a huff. "And asked if I was ready to come home, yet."

Sheldon looked slightly alarmed. "You're not. Right, Penny?"

"Of course not, Sheldon. Heck, if I could, I would spend more than a week here with you."

"Truly?"

"Truly," she smiled. "Shouldn't you be on your way, sweetie? I don't mean to kick you out or anything, I just know that you like to be on time."

Sheldon looked down at his watch and saw that he was five minutes late in leaving the hotel. "Oh, good Lord!" He nearly ran to the door.

"Good luck, Sheldon!" Penny called, looking at him from the back of the couch. "I'll see you later."

"Thank you, Penny. And I will see you later." He gave her one last smile and was out the door.


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

"You know, it's been nice not having Sheldon around," Howard said and settled his butt more firmly in Sheldon's coveted spot. Since Penny was also away in Germany, it Howard that had decided that he would break Sheldon's rule of not sitting in his seat. The man knew that Sheldon would find out about what he had done, but it was still worth it. The Spot  _was_  the most comfortable one in the apartment.

"You say that every time Sheldon's away, dude," Raj pointed out. He sat on the opposite end of the couch and had his legs propped up on the table. In his lap, sat a carton of Chinese food. Without the tall physicist around, there was no one to chastise him for eating so messily.

"It's true." Howard propped his feet on the table, as well. Instead of Chinese, like his best friend, he had decided that night he would have Italian. Normally, Tuesdays were days where they went to the Cheesecake Factory, but without Sheldon there to make them go and Penny to wait on them, they had all decided they would switch it up. After all, next week, they would be right back on their every day schedules.

"What about you, Leonard?" Howard turned to his other friend, who was sitting in his arm chair, looking absently at his lap where his phone sat. "How has it been to not have to deal with Sheldon twenty-four/seven?"

"It's been good."

Howard exchanged a look with Raj before turning back to Leonard. "Just good?" When Leonard didn't reply, Howard threw one of his pasta noodles at him, which got his attention. "What's up with you? You seem out of it. Don't tell me that you miss your crazy roommate."

"Of course, not!" Leonard protested. "I'm just debating if I should text Penny, now, or wait until later."

Raj quickly ate a bite of his orange chicken to hide his smile. Earlier that day, while at work, he had decided to text Penny and she had seemed to enjoy talking, or in this case, texting him. Even though he had mentioned Sheldon. He knew that Penny liked the tall man. Since he couldn't speak in front of her, Raj had taken to observe her actions and they seemed to be different around Sheldon. Sure, they argued, but more often than not, they agreed, now, and they seemed to be hanging out with each other more.

"Well, isn't it like four in the morning there? So, I would wait," Howard suggested.

"I called her the other day, but we didn't get to talk much." Something told Raj that the phone call hadn't gone very well, but there was no way Leonard would admit that aloud.

"Does she want to come home, yet?" Howard asked.

"No, surprisingly," Leonard answered. "But it  _is_  Europe, and she's never been out of the States before, so I'm guessing she's more than willing to put up with Sheldon while they're there."

"I don't know, man. There would be only so much I could take, even if I was in Europe," Howard said and got to his feet to throw away his empty container. "Now, if there were any hot babes involved, I think I'd be able to take  _a lot._ "

Raj rolled his eyes and finished his meal. He was the only one who knew that Penny wasn't putting up with anything because Sheldon wasn't bothering her, at all. In fact, she was enjoying her time in Germany with him and if she could, she would spend more than a week with him.

"So, now that we're done eating, is there anything you guys want to watch?" Howard had picked up the remote on his way from the kitchen. "We can watch whatever we want. So, suggestions?"

Leonard was still too preoccupied with his phone and Raj shrugged, not caring what they watched.

" _America's Next Top Model_  it is!"

* * *

Penny had gone to bed once Sheldon had left and woke up a few hours later. It was close to lunch when she finally crawled out of bed. She knew she had to hurry if she wanted to order lunch and for it to get there before Sheldon.

She ordered them sandwiches, wanting to keep it simple. Later, they would be dining out, again, and Penny couldn't wait.

Once she finished ordering, she went back to her room and looked at her clothes. What did one wear to go see a castle with a friend? A friend who, if Penny were honest with herself, she wanted to be  _more_  with.

Jeans and a t-shirt wouldn't do it. Not this time. But nothing too fancy, either. It wasn't a date. Maybe she could wear a cute, flirty dress. She had brought one along, just in case...  _Just in case, what?_  It wasn't like Sheldon would have noticed the clothes she was wearing. He wasn't that kind of man.

Penny pulled out a nice, pink dress that she knew would be perfect to wear that day. It hit her mid thigh and she had a cute pair of pink flats to match. Walking around in heels all day would not be a good thing, even if she had a pair of those that would go even better with the dress.

She placed the dress on the bed and the shoes on the floor in front it. She would get dress after they ate, not wanting to risk spilling anything on it before they were to leave.

Several minutes later, there was a knock on the door, announcing the arrival of their lunch and only a few minutes after that, Sheldon walked through the door. He smiled when he saw her setting up their meals in the table. He slipped off his bag and placed it by the couch before taking a seat.

"These look delicious, Penny. I believe you've made a good choice for our meal. Like I knew you would."

Penny blushed and tried to hide it by picking up her sandwich and taking a large bite from it. "So, how were your lectures, today?"

"They went well. It is such a joy to lecture to students who actually take what you're saying seriously. Many times at Caltech, I would find myself speaking to a class where half the students were asleep or on their cell phones."

Penny put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, sweetie."

"It is quite all right, Penny. It's just frustrating."

"I understand."

Another smile her way. "I know you do." After that, they ate the rest of their meal in comfortable silence.

Once they were finished, Sheldon stood to clean up their plates and Penny went to her room to quickly get ready for their outing. She didn't want Sheldon to wait too long on her and she wanted to get going as soon as possible. It wasn't every day she got to visit a real castle!

"We will have to take a tram up there," Sheldon said as they walked to the tram station. In his hands, he had a Heidelberg Castle brochure, of course. "Then, from there, we could either go on a tour with a tour guide or just walk around on our own."

Penny wanted to walk around on her own, but she knew Sheldon liked order and structure, so going with a tour guide would be what he would want to do. She was about to answer him, when Sheldon interrupted her.

"Do what  _you_  want, Penny. This whole trip is for  _you._ "

Had he been reading her thoughts?

"Uh...well, then, I would like to explore the castle on our own. If that's okay?"

"Of course, it is." No twitch. "This way we will be able to look at the sites and beautiful architecture at our own pace." He hoped the brochure. "Penny, did you know that more than three million people visit the castle a year?"

"I didn't, but that's a lot. Do you think it will be crowded today?"

"I don't know. Most likely, unfortunately." It was no secret that he wasn't too fond of being around a lot of people.

"It'll still be fun!" Penny couldn't help but beam. She hadn't been this excited for anything in long time. It felt good.

They stood in line for tickets and soon, they were on the tram. Sheldon had given her a window seat and she sat with her nose practically pressed to the glass as they made their way to the castle.

"Ooooh, Sheldon, can we eat at one of those cafes, later? They look so cute!"

Sheldon gave her a confused looked. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand how a building that you eat in can be considered 'cute'?" He even used air quotes, bless him.

Penny really had no explanation. "It just is, okay? So, can we eat at one?"

"Of course. We can do whatever you like." Penny opened her mouth and Sheldon held up a finger. "Within reason."

Penny hid the smile on her face when she turned back to the window.

* * *

"That was  _amazing_!" Penny gushed. "It was all so beautiful."

Unfortunately, they hadn't been able to see everything. There had been too much to see and the place closed at six to the public, but they had seen enough for Penny to fall in love.

While they had walked around, Sheldon had told her interesting facts about the history and other things. Penny didn't mind and found herself asking him several questions, which he had been more than happy to answer.

Now, they were making their way to one of the cafes, one that Penny had pointed out on the ride there, and took their seat outside. The weather was nice and Penny couldn't imagine sitting inside.

When their food arrived, Sheldon placed a napkin in his lap and folded his hands on the table. "I have some news, Penny."

"Yes?" Penny stopped herself from digging in, since she was starving, and waited for Sheldon to tell her the news.

"Friday morning will be our last in Germany."

"What?" Penny dropped her fork and didn't care at the noise it made as it clattered against her plate. "I thought we were here until Sunday morning." Tears threatened her eyes, but she quickly blinked them back.

"I am afraid not. Tomorrow is my last lecture, and it's the biggest one of the week, and then, on Friday morning, we will be leaving. It would be best if you had your things packed Thursday night as our train will be leaving very early in the morning."

"Okay, I'll be ready," she said softly and went back to her meal. This time, the silence wasn't so comfortable.

* * *

Sheldon almost cracked and told Penny what they were doing Friday. Yes, they were leaving Germany, he hadn't told a lie, but they wouldn't be going home quite yet. When he saw the tears in her eyes, he had almost blurted out that they would be going to Paris, but he quickly refrained from doing so.

He knew that seeing her face when they pulled into the train station in Paris would be worth the tears she had almost shed today. Now, all he had to do was keep quiet about it until Friday.

He could do this. Right?

* * *

Penny was going to miss this bed. She was going to miss this room. She was going to miss ordering room service for her and Sheldon. She was going to miss the streets of Heidelberg. But most of all, she was going to miss spending time with Sheldon. The past few days had been almost perfect and she knew they had grown closer.

However, they hadn't grown close enough. At least, Penny didn't think so. She knew she wanted to be with Sheldon, but she wasn't sure how he felt about the idea. This trip, she had hoped maybe they could take that step and become a couple, but with only a day and a half left in Europe, Penny wasn't sure if that was possible, anymore.

Tomorrow was Sheldon's big lecture. She would go and support him. Maybe she would be brave and that night, she would kiss him. But if he pushed her away or reacted negatively, she didn't know what she would do with herself. Sheldon was her best friend and she didn't want to lose him.

Sighing, she turned to her side on the bed and looked out the window. Things had been going so well for her and now, it was all complicated.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Penny woke up the next morning with a heavy heart. The night before she hadn't slept very well and it felt like there were bags under her eyes. She didn't even stop to look at herself in the mirror as she made her way to the bathroom to take a shower. Sheldon was probably already up, showered and ordering their breakfast. She hadn't wanted the morning to come. Today was their last day in Europe and tomorrow, they would be on their way home. Soon, it would be back to her own apartment, her job and the four boys next door.

It wasn't that she hated her life back in California, quite the opposite, actually. Well, except for the fact that she was still a waitress and not an actress.  _Yet._

"Speaking of acting," she muttered to herself as she stepped into the shower, the hot water felt good on her skin. "I haven't gotten a call from that last audition I did." However, normally, when she received no call, it meant that she didn't get the part. That made her heart even heavier. She had been absolutely  _perfect_  for that part, but they still probably thought she looked too Midwestern, even though the lead was supposed to be from Kansas.

The shower did nothing to wash away the heaviness she felt and after stepping out, clean, she got dressed in a pair of black jeans and a cute pink top. She blow-dried and curled her hair, put a little make-up and was ready to go. She wasn't wearing anything special for Sheldon's last lecture. She wanted to blend in with everyone else, but also wanted to stick out a tiny bit in case Sheldon got nervous and needed to look at a familiar face.

As she walked out of the bathroom, she threw her pajamas in the still-empty suitcase at the end of the bed. Later that night, it would be filled with all of her clothes, again and she didn't want to think about that at the moment. If this was her last day in Germany and having Sheldon all to herself, she would make the most of it.

Opening the door that would lead her into the living room, she could already smell the tantalizing smells of whatever Sheldon had ordered for breakfast. Her stomach protested its emptiness and Penny silently reassured it that it would be full soon.

"Good morning, Penny!" Sheldon greeted brightly from the couch. How he was always so perky in the mornings, Penny didn't know.

"Morning, Sheldon." She shuffled over and plopped beside him.

"I hope you slept well." The line between his eyes creased as he peered down at her, worried and sensing that something was a little off with his friend, besides the normal annoyance of being up early.

"I slept fine," she answered. "So, what's for breakfast?" She changed the subject quickly, not wanting him to ask anymore questions about how she slept, because they may lead to other things and she wasn't ready to deal with them so early in the morning.

"I ordered us some scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and toast. I wasn't sure what you would be in the mood for. If known that sounds good, I can always order you something else." Going out of his way to make sure  _she_ was comfortable was something Sheldon would never had done when they had first met, but now, it seemed to come easily to him. In fact, he looked eager to please her and Penny didn't know what to think about that. It was too early to really think about anything at the moment.

"No, this is fine." She leaned forward to grab a plate and began to shovel eggs on her plate. "I'm starving." Sheldon leaned forward to do the same with his plate, but did it in a more delicate manner than Penny had.

Together, they ate in silence for a few minutes. Sheldon had some of his lecture papers spread out in front of him, out of the way of his food, of course, and was glancing at them after every other bite.

"Are you nervous?" Penny asked and took a sip of orange juice. Never had she tasted better orange juice and wondered if there was any way she could take some of it home.

"Honestly, no. I know I should be since there are many people going to this lecture, way more than I am usually comfortable with."

"Well, if you do get nervous while you're up there, just look for me." She placed her now-empty plate on the table. "I don't know how much reassure I'll be, but maybe it will help to see at least one familiar face."

Sheldon's hand twitched at his side, almost as if he wanted to reach out and grab hers. "I'm sure seeing you in the audience will help me greatly. I want to thank you, again, for coming along with me to this lecture  _and_  to Germany. It has been a wonderful experience."

"Just too bad it's going to end tomorrow, huh?" The mood in the room shifted, then, and Penny regretted her words immediately. Sheldon was looking away from her now as he pretend to focus on one of his papers.

"Yes, it is too bad."

* * *

Sheldon wanted to get to the University early to set up and Penny went along with him. The early morning air was chilly on her bare arms and she had been shocked when Sheldon had offered his jacket when he had seen her shiver. For a moment, she had almost refused it since the thing was  _hideous_ , but she didn't know when he'd do something like this, again. So, she put it on and burrowed into the warmth left behind from when Sheldon had it on.

Underneath the hideous jacket, Sheldon had been wearing a grey dress shirt and a pair of black dress slacks. On his feet were a nice pair of black dress shoes. Penny couldn't believe he had actually dressed himself that morning. Gone was the ugly plaid suit and Penny sighed in relief. Hopefully, she would never have to set her eyes on that monstrosity, again.

"Have you been looking in that French dictionary I got you?" He asked. Penny was startled at the question and honestly, had almost forgotten about the dictionary. After all, they were in a country where German was being spoken, so she had been mainly focusing on that.

"Uh, no. Should I have been?"

"N-No. Just curious, is all." If his steps quickened a little, Penny didn't think much of it and thought he just wanted to hurry up.

Several minutes later, they were walking into the science building of the University. There were a few students milling around, but it was still early, yet. Penny wondered if these were the same students that had talked about Sheldon as he walked by his first day there. If they were or not, she still glared at them as she walked past. They just gave her confused glances in return.

"Ah! Penny, you are here!" Dr. Mueller had stepped out of office just as they were about to pass and engulfed Penny in a huge hug.

"Of course," she said and smiled at the older man. "I have to support Sheldon during his biggest lecture of the week, right?" She linked an arm through Sheldon's and was surprised when he didn't slip away from her touch.

Dr. Mueller looked between her and Sheldon, a knowing twinkle in his eye. "Of course you do, dear." He looked up at Sheldon. "You're lecture starts in about thirty minutes. That should give you enough time to setup everything, right?"

"Barely," he said with a twitch of a smile. Penny couldn't believe he had just said something in semblance to a joke and nudged him lightly in the ribs before turning a bright smile up at him.

"We better get going, then," she said. "We wouldn't want you to not be completely prepared before the lecture starts."

"That would not be good, at all," Dr. Mueller agreed. "I will see you later, Sheldon, when it's time for the lecture. I wouldn't want to miss out on it." He waved at them before they started to walk down the hallway. Their arms were no longer linked, but Penny stayed practically glued to his side.

"I'm going to sit right smack in the middle," she announced when they stepped into the large lecture hall. "That way, I won't be hard to find if you ever need to just look at me." She walked up the rows of seats as Sheldon pulled things from his bag and wrote equations on the large whiteboard. She placed her bag on one of the seats so no one would take it and went to join Sheldon back at the front of the room.

"You know, I'm not going to understand a word you say, right? Whether it's in English or German." She hoped up on the big wooden desk and swung her legs, watching Sheldon write some more crazy looking equations with symbols she had never seen in her life.

Penny thought about asking him what some of it meant, but knew he would go into a long explanation that he didn't have time for at the moment and Penny knew she wouldn't understand most, if not, all of it, anyway.

"Penny," he said with his back to her as he continued to scribble things down on the board. "I can do two things at once. If you wish to talk to me, you may."

There silence had been so comfortable that Penny hadn't even thought of filling it up with chatter. "Um." At first, she didn't know quite what to say. Sheldon had never really been interested in idle chitchat.

"Penny, I have never known you to  _not_  know what to say." Sheldon turned to her with one of his rare,  _real_  smiles. This smile seemed different, though. It seemed softer. She didn't know how to explain it and at the sight of it, her stomach did flips.

Gathering herself, quickly, she stuck her tongue out at him. "Well, earlier, I was thinking about that audition I had awhile ago."

"The one with the girl named Jenny from Kansas?"

"Yep. That one. I was so sure I was going to get that part." She sighed and slumped a little. "Maybe acting isn't for me. Still, I want to have at least  _one_  successful part under my belt, you know? Just to say that coming to California was worth it."

"Not that coming to California was a total bust," she quickly added when she saw hurt flash across Sheldon's face. "I got to meet you and the guys. You've been better friends to me than my friends in Nebraska were. None of them would have taken me to Germany."

"I, for one, am glad you came to California, specifically Pasadena and across the hall from us," he said. "And I am sure, that you will get that one part, Penny. Possibly, even more."

"Aw, thanks, sweetie!"

He looked like he was about to say something more, but the first of the students began to trickle in. Penny took that as her cue to leave him alone to finish getting ready and take her seat.

* * *

Sheldon's voice nearly soothed Penny to sleep as he spoke to the roomful of students. Twice, he had glanced at Penny, but she knew he hadn't done it because he was nervous. He was confident as he spoke, his voice never wavered and when he looked at her, sitting in the middle of the room, his eyes brightened and he smiled as if he was glad she was still there.

After the lecture, everyone applauded and Sheldon positively beamed. Gone was the insecurity that people wouldn't take him seriously as a physicist, anymore. Penny was glad that he had been given this opportunity to prove to everyone that he was still and always had been brilliant.

As the room began to empty, Penny stood up from her seat to find Sheldon surrounded by at least a dozen students. Dr. Mueller stood a little bit away, looking very proud of his former student. When he saw Penny descend the steps, he walked her way and wrapped his arms around her in a friendly hug.

"Today has been a great success, as has been the week. I have noticed a change in my students because of Dr. Cooper's lectures. More of them have drive, now. They wish to do better. It is incredible, this change."

"Sheldon is very passionate about his work," Penny smiled. "I'm sure it wasn't hard for him to transfer that to the students."

"I have also noticed a change in Sheldon. A good change." The older man's eyes sparkled. "And I know it's because of you. Now, I understand that today is your last day in Germany."

"Actually, it's our last day in Europe. Tomorrow, we'll be heading home." Penny felt like crying.

"Oh." A crease showed up between Dr. Mueller's brows as if he was confused about something. "Well, then, how unfortunate. I wish you could have stayed longer, my dear." He hugged her, again. "And I must also insist that you dine with me one last time before you go."

"I wouldn't mind, at all." She smiled. "But you'll have to check with Sheldon. He's the one that makes the plans."

"I'll go ask him, now." He winked and walked right up to Sheldon. By then, only a few students remained, but when they saw Dr. Mueller walk towards Sheldon, they dispersed and went out into the hallway.

Penny took a seat in a desk and waited for the two men to finish talking. However, she couldn't hear what was being said and if she had known they were speaking in German, she would have gotten  _very_  suspicious.

* * *

"I thought you were staying in Europe until Saturday evening?"

Sheldon looked slightly confused at the question and at why the question was spoken in German. "We are."

"Penny told me you were leaving tomorrow to fly home."

"That is what I told her. Actually, we will be taking a train to Paris. We will be spending the rest of our stay there."

"Oh." There was a twinkle in Dominik's eyes. "That is very romantic of you."

Sheldon felt his face heat up. "Uh. Yes. I was...hoping that it would be." It felt odd for him to not be sure of what to say.

"Penny is in love with you." The words were simply spoken, but Sheldon felt as if he had just been slapped. Penny was in  _love_  with him?

"She did not want me to say anything, of course, but I figured you would need a nudge in the right direction."

"When did she tell you this?" Sheldon gripped the strap of his messenger bag so tight, his knuckles were turning white.

"Before you left for Germany. Actually, Dr. Gablehouser and I had just been discussing who to send on this trip when we ran into the lovely Penny. She was quite distraught because she felt as if you would never return her feelings."

Sheldon was silent.

"Do you? Return her feelings, that is."

Sheldon didn't even hesitate this time. "Yes."


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

To Sheldon, admitting that aloud lifted a weight off his chest. A weight that had seemed to be there for a  _long_  time. Yes, he, Sheldon Lee Cooper, had feelings for Penny that went beyond friendship. Never had he felt this way about  _anyone_  and when they had first met, Sheldon would have never guessed that he would be feeling that way about  _Penny_ , his unorganized neighbor who had drank too much, in the beginning, and who couldn't seem to keep her apartment clean for more than a day.

Yes, those feelings were a shocker. A  _big_  one. Though, the hug Dr. Mueller gave him after the admittance almost topped it. No one ever hugged him except for his mother, Meemaw and Penny. Oddly, he wasn't repulsed by it. Dominik Mueller had been a friendly face when he first stepped foot on the University many years ago and continued to be a friendly face.

"I'm proud of you, son," Dominik said and took a step back. "Penny is a mighty fine woman."

"I know."

"When do you plan on telling her how you feel?"

"Actually," he started and glanced up to see Penny staring curiously at the two of them. He made sure to lower his voice when he spoke again, not wanting to ruin the surprise. "I'll be taking her to Paris tomorrow and hopefully, will find a time and place to do so, then."

"Paris!" Dr. Mueller exclaimed, thankfully in a whisper. "That's quite romantic of you, Sheldon."

"I know," Sheldon said, proudly.

"Afterwards, you must tell me how it goes."

"Of course, I will." From the corner of his eye, he saw Penny approach them and knew that they had better stop talking before she heard what they were saying. Blood rushed to his face at the thought of Penny finding out how he felt before he was ready to tell her.

"So," she said. "Are we going out for lunch or do you have a set schedule for the day, Dr. Cooper?" She smiled and winked. More blood seemed to rush to his face and he turned his back on her to finish packing his bag.

"We will be going to lunch with Dr. Mueller, Penny."

"Great! I was really hoping we would spend a little time with him before we leave." Sheldon noticed that her voice seemed to sadden towards the end of the sentence and he realized, not for the first time, that she really wasn't ready for them to leave and that it was upsetting her very much that they had to.

It almost made him tell her their plans for the rest of their stay, but he restrained. Penny liked surprises, unlike him, and Sheldon knew she would enjoy the surprise he would be giving her. He just wished she wouldn't be so sad in the meantime. Sheldon  _hated_  seeing Penny sad. It was one of the worst things he ever had to witness.

"Excellent. Now, come, follow me," Dominik motioned with a hand. "I'll take you to a nice little place I sometimes go for my lunch break."

With smiles, Penny and Sheldon followed him. However, Sheldon couldn't help but notice that Penny's smile seemed to be a little...forced.

* * *

The restaurant Dominik took them to was a quiet, small place almost like the one he had taken them on their first day there. There were only a few patrons at the tables and the three of them were led to a table in the back corner, where they would be able to have a conversation and not disturb the other customers.

"Many other professors, like myself, and students come here to eat and study," Dr. Mueller said in explanation. "Most of the time, it's as quiet as a library in here, but they will not mind if we talk."

Penny looked through her menu, trusty German dictionary by her hand. "It's very nice in here," she said, not taking her mind off the menu. Dr. Mueller and Sheldon already seemed to have what hey wanted picked out and she didn't want to keep them waiting as she decided.

When they got their drinks, Penny ordered a beer because  _Germany_ , they ordered their food and then, started to talk comfortably with one another. Not for the first time, Penny relished in conversation she knew wouldn't turn into an argument, like many of the conversations back home with the boys. Most times, things turned into competitions, as well.

It was nice to have a  _mature_  conversation with a mature German man and a somewhat mature physicist.

"So, Penny, Sheldon tells me that you're an actress."

Penny glanced over at Sheldon, surprised that he had told his old professor of her profession. Normally, he acted as if acting was a waste of time. "Yeah, I am."

"Any big roles, yet?"

"Uh...sadly, no. I did have one commercial and a lead role in a  _very_  small play. But that's it."

"That is too bad, dear." He reached over and squeezed her hand. "I bet you are very talented. One day you will get your 'big break', yes?"

"I...don't think so. I'm thinking about giving up on acting and maybe go to school. I haven't decided, yet."

"Why not do both?" Sheldon spoke up. "Don't give up on acting, but have a back-up plan just in case." It was clear that he was trying to be supportive of her and Penny felt her heart start to beat faster.

"I could, if only I would get parts." She sighed. "I guess we'll have to see what's in store for me when we get home tomorrow." Penny wasn't looking at either one of them, so she missed the look that passed between Sheldon and Dominik.

* * *

After they ate their meal and talked for a little while more, it was time to go. Dr. Mueller was needed back at the University. Penny had burst into tears as she hugged the older man and made him promise that the next time he was in California, they would all get together to catch up. She had come to love him.

As they watched Dominik walk down the street towards the University, Sheldon looked down at Penny. "What would you like to do, now?"

"Maybe we can just walk around," she suggested eyes misty. "See the sights one more time."

"That sounds like a good idea," he agreed and shifted the strap of his bag. "But, first, may we go back to the hotel, so I can drop off some of my things and change out of these clothes. I don't think they are proper walking attire."

Penny was going to miss the dress shirt and pants, but couldn't help but agree. The day was already growing warm and she knew, he'd sweat in the clothes he had on at the moment and Sheldon hated sweating.

"Okay, that's fine."

Together, they walked to the hotel. It was nice to have places to close to one another that they could walk. In California, she had to take her crap car everywhere. If she lived here, she definitely not have to worry about her car giving out on her in the middle of the road, that's for sure.

"Penny?" Sheldon said, a little uncertain.

"Yes? Is there something wrong?"

"No." He shook his head. "I just want to say that I'm sorry we have to leave Germany tomorrow. I know how much you loved it here."

"Don't be sorry, sweetie," she said and squeezed his bicep in understanding. "I should be thanking you for even bringing me here in the first place. This has been the best week of my life!"

"Really?"

"Really."

"And you didn't mind that you spent this week with me?"

"Of course, not! In fact, I'm glad it was you. I really am." Penny wanted to slide her hand down his arm and grasp his hand, but didn't want to feel the disappointment of Sheldon slipping from her grasp. So, she kept her hands to herself.

"I'm glad to hear that."

* * *

It was two a.m. on a Wednesday morning and Raj and Howard were wasted. They had just returned to Raj's apartment after a night on the town and were sipping at bottles of beer and watching late night reality TV.

"I wonder how Sheldon and Penny are doing," Howard slurred and slumped further down in the couch.

"They're doing fine," Raj answered. "Penny texted me."

"I bet's she already met some German man to take to bed with her," Howard continued lewdly, as if he didn't hear Raj.

"She'd never do that. Not with Sheldon there!" Raj exclaimed, scandalized.

"Then, she'll go to the guy's place." Howard shrugged and picked up to flip through the channels.

"Penny is in love with Sheldon!"

"HA!" Howard laughed and then, chocked on his beer. "Let's say, for a second, that that's true. Sheldon would  _never_  return her feelings. He doesn't do that, remember?"

"He wanted her to go to Germany with him! He even wrote down her na-" He slapped a hand over his mouth before he could continue. However, it was too late. Howard's interest had been peeked and now, he was leaning close to his best friend.

"He even wrote down...what?"

Raj sighed, knowing that he had no choice. Howard wouldn't leave him alone until he told and if he didn't do it, now, he might wait until they were with Leonard to bring it up. Leonard was the last person Raj wanted to know about this. He knew his friend would do something drastic and possibly even ruin the good time Sheldon and Penny were having.

"You can't tell  _anyone,_ " he whispered, as if there were other people in his apartment beside the two of them. "I  _mean_  it, Howard.  _No one._ "

"Got it." Howard seemed to sober up at the thought of learning what seemed like a very important secret.

"You know how Sheldon picked names out of a hat to decide who would go to Germany with him?" Raj continued to whisper.

Howard nodded.

"Well, they  _all_  had Penny's name. Except for one. That one had my name on it," he finished smugly.

"No way! So, you're saying he  _wanted_ Penny to go with him?"

Raj nodded. "He did. Have you noticed all the time they've been spending together?"

"I have," Howard said. "And it's only a matter of time before that rockin' body of Penny's breaks Sheldon down."

"I think Penny is the only woman who would be able to break Sheldon down.  _Ever._ "

Howard thought for a moment and then, agreed. "You're right. If Leonard where to kn-"

"No!" Raj shouted, startling his friend. "I said no one,  _especially_  Leonard. Do you have any idea what he would do if he were to find out? Think Arctic Incident, but worse."

"Do you think he would be capable of that?"

"With Penny involved, I truly believe he's capable of doing anything. Sometimes I don't think Sheldon is one step away from being a super villain. I think Leonard  _is._ "

Howard remained silent after that, but he didn't disagree with his best friend.

* * *

Penny and Sheldon spent the rest of the day and part of the night on the streets of Heidelberg. For dinner, they stopped at, what looked like pretty popular place to eat, and enjoyed their last German meal of the trip. Penny didn't know that soon they would be enjoying French cuisine.

Afterwards, Penny was reluctant to head back to the hotel. So, they caught a glimpse of the night life. They passed a few clubs and though Penny looked longingly at some of them, she didn't ask Sheldon if they could go inside. For which he was  _very_  grateful.

Finally, she seemed to have her fill of all the sights and together, they made it back to the hotel. However, she wasn't ready to head to bed, so she suggested they watch a movie. Digging through her already packed suitcase, she took out one of the movies she had brought.  _The Princess Bride_.

She waited for Sheldon to argue the choice of movie, but when he didn't she shrugged and placed the disc in the player. Then, she went and flipped off the lights in the room before settling on the couch  _very_  close to Sheldon. So close, she was practically sitting on his lap. He didn't move or shove her away, so Penny counted that as a win.

The movie started and they watched as it played out on the screen. Penny loved the movie; it was one of her favorites. But her mind wasn't really on Wesley and Buttercup at the moment. They were on Sheldon and how, after tomorrow, things would go back to normal between them and they would have three big obstacles to furthering their relationship.

Raj, Howard and Leonard.

Leonard would be the biggest because Penny knew that the moment she stepped off the plane in California, he would adhere to her side, once more. She wasn't ready for that. Especially not after having such a good time with Sheldon.

Through the rest of the movie, Penny tried hard to pay attention to it and when it finally ended, she turned to Sheldon with a smile that felt a little fake. "So, how did you like it?"

"I will admit that it was not as bad as  _The Lake_ _H_ _ouse_. It was...acceptable."

"I'm glad." Penny stood, disconnecting from the side of Sheldon's body. "Well, I should probably head to bed, now." She felt like crying and didn't want to do it in front of him. "What time should I be ready to leave?"

"The train will be departed at seven in the morning, so I would like to leave here no later than six. Is that fine?"

"Yeah." She nodded, even though it  _wasn't_  fine. "I'll be up and ready. Goodnight, Sheldon." Unlike the night before, she didn't stoop down and kiss his cheek. The tears were coming and she needed to hide behind the safety of her door.

"Goodnight, Penny," Sheldon said to her retreating back.


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

**Here's just a tiny chapter while things are pretty crazy here. A longer one will come soon!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

Penny and Sheldon gathered up their things by the door and ate a quick breakfast in silence. Sheldon kept glancing at the woman beside him, wishing he could spill the secret that would make Penny smile and not look as if she were about to cry.

"Are you ready, Penny? The cab that will take us to the train station should be here shortly." He shuddered when he thought of having to sit in a cab, but it was only a short ride.

"I guess," she said and placed her empty plate on the table. Later, the maids would come in and clean the room. It would be as if they had never stayed the last few days there.

"I am sorry that we have to leave this place, Penny. I know how much you have enjoyed it here."

"It's not your fault," she said and gave him a small smile. "I consider myself lucky that I was given an opportunity to see this beautiful place. Now, I'm always going to want to come back."

"Maybe sometime in the future," Sheldon said and slipped his messenger's bag over his head. "The University seemed to like my lectures. It could be possible that they will ask me back here, again. I'd bring you along, of course."

"That would be amazing, Sheldon." She gave him a quick side hug, knowing how he felt about touch. Though, Sheldon wished she would just wrap her arms around him. "I'll start saving up, now, so that even if you don't get called back here anytime soon, we could go on vacation."

"That would be an acceptable idea," he said, glad that she didn't seem too sad, anymore. However, he couldn't want to see her reaction when she realized they would be going to Paris.

"Great!" She beamed. Together, they took their bags and went to wait for their cab.

They had been on the train for more than an hour. That Penny knew. She could have sworn that the trip from Frankfurt to Heidelberg hadn't taken them that long. She drummed her fingers on the table in front of her and glanced out the window at the scenery.

"Is something wrong, Penny?" Sheldon looked up from the comic book he had been reading to ask.

"We've just been on this train for awhile," she sighed. "I guess I'm getting a little restless." She had thought they would be on a plane to home, by now. Not that she was complaining that they weren't.

"We've been on the train for approximately one hour and forty-three minutes."

"That's a bit longer than last time, isn't it?"

"You are correct. We aren't going to the same airport as last time," he said, then quickly went back to his comic book. He had said too much.

" _Where_  are we going then?" Penny leaned forward more on the table and Sheldon made sure to act as if something was capturing all of his attention at the moment.

" _Sheldon_."

"You'll just have to wait and see."

"Fine." Penny huffed and sat back in her seat as she crossed her arms over her chest. Sheldon was glad that she had seemed to give up easily. Though he could be just as stubborn as she, he didn't know how long he could have held out if she had kept pestering him.

* * *

 _"Nous arriverons à Paris prochainement."_  A woman announced over the intercom and Penny jolted upright in her seat. Had that been French? She had been used to the German announcements and this didn't sound like German.

"Sheldon." She nudged his leg under the table. About forty-five minutes earlier, he had shut the curtains covering the window, declaring that he had a headache and hoped to sleep it off for a little bit. Penny had huffed, annoyed, that the one thing that was keeping her from being bored was covered up, but she hadn't protested.

His eyes opened. "Yes?"

"The lady over the intercom said something in French, I think. I have no idea what she said, though."

"Have you been looking at that French dictionary I gave you?"

" _No_ ," she sighed. "We were in  _Germany_ , Sheldon. I was looking at my German one."

"I see. Well, the lady said that we would be arriving in Paris shortly, so I would suggest tha-"

"Wait! What? Did you just say we were arriving in  _Paris_ , shortly?"

"That's what I said." The corners of his mouth twitched, as if he was trying to contain a smile.

"We're going to Paris?" She practically screamed and when Sheldon nodded his head, she leapt over the table and gave him a fierce hug. He didn't mind at all and if his arms weren't trapped at the moment, he would have returned the embrace.

"Is that why you were acting so weird?" She asked, sitting back down in her chair. "You were keeping this from me."

"Yes, that is why. Though, I almost relented and told you about it when I saw that you got so distraught when you thought we were leaving Europe all together."

"I was distraught. I didn't want to leave. I was having such a good time and it made me forget the boring life I had at home."

"I hope you have just as good of a time in Paris as you did in Germany."

"I think I'll have an even better time! Do you want to know why?" She leaned her elbows forward on the table and fluttered her eyelashes at him. Sheldon felt his face grow warm.

"Why?"

"Because I'll have you all to myself, all the time. There's no lectures or meetings in Paris to take you away from my side."

Sheldon didn't say anything, actually at a loss for words. But he had to admit, knowing that, he knew that he would have a better time in Paris, as well.

* * *

"It's so beautiful!" Penny said in awe as they stood in the lobby of their hotel. Her pink suitcase laid against her legs and her head almost tilted all the way back to gaze up at the ceiling and the rest of the decor of the room.

"Unfortunately, it's not a five star hotel," Sheldon shuddered, thinking about all the reasons why the place hadn't been rewarded that last star. "But I suppose it will do for our stay."

They had to carry their own bags up to the room, which Penny seemed fine with. Sheldon was mildly annoyed by it, but at least he figured out why they didn't get that last star. Their room was on the third floor, leaving three floors on top of them. Sheldon had tried to get a top floor, so he wouldn't hear people trampling around over his head, but the rooms were all filled.

Penny slid the key into the slot and opened the door, a bright smile on her face. The room looked almost like the one in Germany, but was slightly bigger and had a balcony that overlooked some of the city.

"Unfortunately, the Eiffel Tower is behind us. You won't be able to see it from here," Sheldon said, placing his bag down by the door, neatly. Penny had thrown hers on the couch in her mad rush to the glass doors leading to the balcony

"I don't care!" She called back. "This place is perfect."

Sheldon figured that even if the hotel was a three-star hotel, Penny would have thought it perfect.

* * *

**I took eight years of French and I'm NO WHERE near fluent, so if the translation above is incorrect that is all on me.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

Penny barely got settled into the room that was hers before she was bouncing back into the main room of their hotel room. Sheldon had just walked into his room with his suitcase and Penny huffed a breath and slumped on the couch, knowing that this could take a while. All she wanted to do was get out of this room and explore. She had wanted to visit Paris since she was a little girl and now, she had the chance.

"What should we do first, Sheldon?" She called through the open door of Sheldon's room. She could see him setting his suitcase on the bed and carefully moving his folded clothes to the dresser. "Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe or Notre Dame?"

"I have not made an itinerary for this portion of our trip," he said, his voice floating back to her. "So, we can do whatever you want, Penny."

"Then, we'll do all of those things today," she decided with finality.

"Penny," Sheldon poked his head out the door. "We won't be leaving until Sunday morning. We have all day today and tomorrow to do what you would like. Unfortunately, I don't think we can see all of the things you suggested all in one day."

"Fine," she huffed and crossed her arms. "But we're  _definitely_  seeing the Eiffel Tower today."

"Of course," Sheldon said before ducking back into his room. "I, too, am looking forward to seeing it."

"You've never been to Paris before? Not even to visit while you were in Germany?" She got up from the couch and walked to Sheldon's doorway so it didn't feel so odd to have a conversation across a room.

"Penny," Sheldon sighed, exasperated and stopped unpacking to look at her. "I was there for purely  _academic_  reasons. I didn't have time to 'visit' anything. However, I did stop here for a few hours to switch plans on my way back home to Texas."

"And I bet you spent that whole time in the airport, huh?" Penny leaned against the doorframe and rolled her eyes, already knowing the answer.

"Of course I did! I didn't want to risk missing my flight."

"Oh, Sheldon, where's your sense of adventure?" She walked into the room and sat on the bed, next to his suitcase.

"Penny, Penny, Penny. Of course, I have sense of adventure. Just not back then."

Penny rolled her eyes again and couldn't help but smile. In her opinion, and she was sure in everyone else's, too, Sheldon didn't have a sense of adventure now, either. Maybe she could change that while they were here...

* * *

Once Sheldon was done unpacking a few minutes later, Penny thought they would be home free to explore Paris, but he made a beeline for the bathroom. Unlike Germany, this room only came with one.

"Ugh, Sheldon!" Penny threw her head back in exasperation and followed him to the bathroom where he was vigorously washing his hands.

"Penny, you should be joining me. There are probably millions of germs on your hands just from the doorknob alone." Penny didn't argue, knowing that things would go quicker if she didn't, and stuck her hands under the faucet of the other sink in the bathroom.

Once Sheldon deemed his hands  _and_  hers clean enough, they were ready to go.  _Finally_. Penny was bouncing excitingly on her toes in the elevator, which was making Sheldon slightly nervous. However, he didn't say anything and willed the ride to go faster. The last thing he needed was to be stuck in an elevator.

The elevator opened with a ding and Penny grabbed Sheldon's hand to pull him into the lobby and into the streets of freaking  _Paris_. "Even the people are beautiful!" She exclaimed when a group of them walked by. Sheldon looked over his shoulder at them and wrinkled his nose.

"Penny, I think at least one of them was a homeless person."

She didn't look phased and continued walking, the whole time Sheldon's hand was still in hers. "Well, Parisian homeless people are more beautiful than American ones."

"Uh, Penny. Do you even know where you're going?"

She stopped and Sheldon nearly collided into her back. Despite his longer legs, he had still struggled to keep up with her and even she had been walking any faster, he would have probably been dragged along the sidewalk. "Um," she said and looked around, a finger on her chin. "No."

"The Eiffel Tower is...that way." He hooked a thumb over his shoulder and in the opposite direction they were going.

"Oh." Penny's cheeks pinked and she let go of his head. "Sorry, I was just a little excited."

"It's all right. I understand." Together, they began to walk side by side and there hands brushed. Sheldon wanted to grab Penny's hand, again, but he wasn't brave enough. Not then, anyway.

"Maybe on the way there, we can stop at a cafe or something. I'm starving!"

"Of course. Did you bring your dictionary so you can order in French?"

"Yep," she said, proudly and patted her purse. "Though I wish I had taken a look at while we were in Germany. You  _did_  tell me too, but at the time, I didn't see the point."

"If you need assistance, I'll be there to give you some."

"You speak French?" She rolled her eyes. "Who am I kidding?  _Of course_  you do!"

"You're right. During my time in Germany while I was young, I made sure that I learned every language spoken in Europe just in case I needed to use them."

"And did you?"

"No. I only spent time in Germany and stayed mostly on campus. Like you said earlier, I didn't have a 'sense of adventure'," he said and used air quotes.

"I'm glad things changed this time and you decided to explore more of Europe." Penny bumped into him when she had to side-step a couple.

"If you hadn't come with me, I wouldn't have," he said and looked shy. "I wanted to do something nice for you and I knew you would like a trip here."

Penny threw her arms around him, right there in the middle of the sidewalk. Surprisingly no one was giving them odd looks. "Oh, Sheldon, taking me with you to Germany was the nicest thing you ever did for me. This...I don't even know how to explain it." She pulled back from him.

"You don't need to, Penny. I want you to enjoy yourself and it's clear that you are." In a moment of braveness, he offered Penny his arm, like a gentleman. She looked startled for a moment before slipping her arm through his.

They walked for a few minutes before a small cafe at the corner of a street caught Penny's eyes. Instead of walking arm-in-arm to it, Penny grabbed him by the hand and practically dragged him there.

He didn't complain once.

* * *

When they ordered their food, it took them a few minutes. Penny had to look up every word and insisted that she say her complete order on her own. Sheldon sat across from her patiently and when she finished, he congratulated her.

Unlike the French, they ate their meal in less than thirty minutes and were moving once more. Penny's mission to see the Eiffel Tower hadn't been deterred and she was even more eager, now, to see the structure since she continued to catch glimpses of it as they continued to get close.

"Did you know the Eiffel Tower was completed the March of 1889?" Sheldon started to spout off facts as they grew closer. "It was designed by a man named Gustave Eiffel and took nearly two years to complete. It was supposed to be torn down in 1909 by the City of Paris, but they decided against it."

"Good," Penny said. Finally, she could see the complete structure. "It's too beautiful to tear down."

"Everything here is beautiful to you, isn't it Penny?" Sheldon smiled, liking the look of awe on Penny's face as they approached the famous monument.

"It is," she sighed.

Several minutes later, they were craning their necks to look up at the top of the tower. Several other tourists were doing the same. "Do you want to go up to the top?" Sheldon asked. "They have elevators that can take us up there."

"Of course!"

* * *

Sheldon was deathly afraid of heights.

However, Penny didn't seem to care that they were hundreds of feet above the ground. She, along with some other people, were at the railing looking at the view. They could see most of Paris from how high they were.

It was comforting, though, to see that Sheldon wasn't the only one hanging around by the elevator waiting for whoever they came with to be ready to go back down. A few others were there. Some even had their backs turned so that they couldn't see how high up they were. Sheldon could at least look outside and see the tops of buildings from where he was. Seeing the ground was a different story, though.

"Come on, Sheldon." Penny appeared before him and grabbed his arm. "You can't see anything from here."

"I'd like to stay right here, Penny. If you don't mind."

"Sheldon!"

"If I go to that rail, I can not promise you that my lunch will stay in my stomach."

Penny let him go as if he burned her and made a face. "Never mind, then." She took a step back. "Give me a few minutes and then, we can get you back on solid ground."

"That would be pleasant."

Just as she promised, a few minutes later they were heading back down the elevator and Sheldon was able to step on to solid ground. The queasiness in his stomach vanished instantly. "Now what?" He asked.

"There's still so much to see. I don't even know where to go from here."

"If I may, I request that we head back to the hotel around six. I have made reservations at nice restaurant at seven and I figure that you would require some time to get ready for it."

Penny beamed. "Of course!" If it was possible, she looked even more excited.

* * *

At six, they were back at the hotel. Penny was taking a quick shower and Sheldon was getting ready for their dinner. He hoped that Penny would get that this was a date without having to tell her. She was more savvy with these things than he was and he didn't know how he would react if he asked her on a date and she said no.

Of course, there was a chance that she would think that the dinner was just like any of the meals they had eaten together over the last few days. But this was  _Paris_ , after all. The City of Love.

"Don't look!" Penny cried when the door to the bathroom opened. On instinct, Sheldon looked just in time to see Penny streak to her room in nothing but a towel.

"P-Penny!" He sputtered.

"Told you not to look, Sheldon!" She called from behind her closed door. She didn't sound angry, so that was a good thing.

In Penny's room, she slipped off the towel and quickly pulled on her undergarments. Leaving her clothes in her room had been a mistake, but she would have done it again just to see Sheldon's face when she ran to her bedroom.

Digging through her suitcase, she pulled out the black dress she had planned to wear for any special occasion that may have occurred before she had bought the green dress in Germany. She hoped that Sheldon would think she looked just as beautiful in it, as well.

She slipped it over her head and zipped herself in. The top fit like a glove and the neckline was low, but still classy. From the waist on, it flared out and hit a few inches above her knees. A pair of black heels finished the look and she looked herself over in the mirror. All that needed to be done was her hair and make-up and then, she would be ready.

When she finally walked out of the room, Sheldon's eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. Penny took that as a good sign and followed him out of the room.

"I hope you don't mind that we are walking to our destination," Sheldon said, offering his arm once they stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"Of course not," she said. "In fact, I'm glad we are." She beamed up at him. "It just means more time I get to spend with you."

Sheldon blushed and looked away, not knowing how to respond to that. However, he did know that Penny  _was_  flirting with him and took that as a good sign.

The sound of some pop song coming from Penny's purse stopped them in the middle of the sidewalk and Penny groaned, reaching in to pick up her phone. "This better not be Leonard," she mumbled, almost so low that Sheldon couldn't hear. When she saw the number her face went from annoyance to confusion.

"Hello?" She asked and looked up at Sheldon, shrugging.

_"Hello, is this Penny Dixon?"_

"Yes, it is."

_"Hi, this is Ashley Roche from the Pasadena Theatre Company. You auditioned for our upcoming play, correct?"_

Penny's brow scrunched. She had auditioned for a part, but that had been weeks ago and she had thought for sure she hadn't gotten it. "Yeah, I did."

_"We know that this call has been a little late in coming and a little short notice, as well. But you got the part of Jenny from Kansas. Rehearsals start Monday, if you are still interested."_

"Yes!" Penny screeched. "Of course, I'm still interested." She ignored Sheldon's wide-eyed look and the looks she was getting from other people as they walked by.

_"Great! Oh, and we have changed up plot a little and would like to discuss it with you when you come in. Does that sound good?"_

"It sounds absolutely perfect."

_"Good._ _Congratulations_ _, Penny, and we'll see you, then."_

Penny hung up the phone and looked to Sheldon, who was looking at her questioningly. "I got the part," she said.

"The pa-?"

"I got the freaking part while I was in freaking Paris! Can this day get any better?" She reached for Sheldon's face and smashed her lips to his.

Seconds later, she was jumping away from him. "Oh, God. I'm so  _so_  sorry, Sheldon! It's just that I was so exci-"

"Pardon me for interrupting, Penny. But isn't the kiss supposed to happen  _after_  the date?"


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

**Here's another short chapter. I hope you all like it, though!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

Penny didn't know if she could take any more surprises and she knew that any minute now Sheldon would start freaking out, even though he looked calm as ever. "This is a...date?" She cocked her head and asked. She had thought it was just like any other time they had gone out to eat while they had been in Europe.

"Yes. That is, if you would like it to be." Now, Penny could see some of his calm demeanor cracking and he shifted a bit nervously. Afraid of rejection, she supposed.

"I wouldn't have kissed you, Sheldon, if I didn't want to...be with you."

He shrugged. "You are an affectionate person, Penny. I wasn't sure."

Penny found no offense in that, knowing that it was true. Early on in their friendship, she would have thought he was insinuating she was a slut. "Well, now you can be sure. I kissed you because I wanted to and I was so happy about getting the part, that I just did it without thinking. I thought for sure you would have run or fainted or both."

"Over the last few years that I have known you, Penny, the idea of touch has repulsed me less and less. Especially if it's you that is doing the touching."

Penny smiled and slipped an arm through his. "In that case, then." She looked up at him and the smile grew even wider when he looked far from bothered with having her so close. "So, you said something about a date?"

An hour later, they were seated at a window seat at a fancy restaurant that Penny didn't glance up to see the name of. She probably wouldn't have been able to read it if she had. All she had eyes for was Sheldon as they walked to the restaurant. Sheldon pointed out various things as they walked and Penny listened with interest as he spoke.

"Did you enjoy the food, Penny?" Sheldon asked as their plates were cleared away and desert was placed in front of them. Most of the other patrons around them were still barely into their meal. Penny had noticed since she had been taking in the scenery. She wanted to remember _everything_ about this evening.

"Of course!" She answered. "I bet I would like everything here."

Sheldon's mouth twitched. "What about escargot?"

"And that is?"

"Snails."

She shuddered. "Okay. Maybe not _everything._ " Sheldon let himself smile, then and Penny realized he had been teasing her. Something he didn't do often and most times, didn't do well.

Once they were finished desert, which Penny thought was even better than their dinner, Sheldon and Penny decided to walk the streets of Paris for a while before heading back to their hotel. The night was still young and many other couples had the same idea as them.

"Penny, there is something I wish to confess," Sheldon spoke softly.

"What is it?" They were in a park of some kind and Sheldon led them to a bench where they could talk while sitting.

"Remember when I picked who would go with me on this trip?" Of course, she remembered. It had been one of the happiest days of her life. She had just found out that she would be going on a well-deserved trip to Germany.

"Yeah, you had four slips of paper with everyone's name on it," she answered.

"Well, that was all a lie."

"What?" Penny asked, confused. Sheldon had lied? And no one had picked up on it?

"Yes. Those slips of paper didn't have everyone's name on them. They just had one. Yours."

Penny gasped at the news. All the pieces of paper had her name on it? So that meant that Sheldon had wanted her to go with him all along. Instead of just telling her that, he made it so the guys would think it was a fair selection and not say anything when Penny was picked. Smart. But then again, this _was_ Sheldon she was thinking about after all.

"Are you mad?" The way he had his shoulders hunched, Penny knew he had expected her to explode on him.

"No. Of course not!" She put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed reassuringly.

"I knew that if I didn't do it that way, Howard and Raj would tease me mercilessly about it and Leonard would give me the cold shoulder."

"What you did was good. Even though, when we get back and tell them that we're together, those things will probably happen anyone."

Sheldon sighed. "I know. I'll try not to let it bother me." He reached over and grabbed her hand. "I got what I wanted and no amount of teasing and anger will make me regret this night or this week."

Penny couldn't help it. Tears sprang to her eyes and she leaned forward to kiss Sheldon, again. This time instead of standing there and doing nothing, he kissed her back. Quite well, actually. Penny wanted to climb in his lap, but there was a fear that it would make him bolt. Plus, they were in public and the dress she wore wouldn't leave much room for modesty.

Sheldon was the first to pull away and stand. "Come on, Penny," he said, offering a hand to help her up. "We should head back to the hotel. Tomorrow is our last day here and I'm sure there are lots of things you still wish to see."

"Yes, there is!" She slipped an arm through his as they walked. Her mind raced with all the things still left to see and she hoped they would have enough time to see them all. If not, well at least she got to spend time with Sheldon in Paris.

* * *

"Guys, I just got a sinking feeling in stomach," Leonard announced to his two friends as they sat in his living room, eating Thai food. It wasn't Thai night, but without Sheldon there, they were allowed to mix things up.

"You probably just ate something with diary in it." Howard waved him off.

"That food doesn't have dairy!" Leonard protested. "Do you think it has something to do with Penny? Do you think she might be in trouble?" He scrambled for his phone.

"No!" Raj nearly launched across Howard to stop Leonard. "You should leave her alone," he said. "She's probably sleeping by now...or something. I bet she's fine."

Leonard gave his friend an odd look. "How would you know that? She's half way around the world! But...I'll just send her a text." He decided to be safe than sorry and sent Penny a quick text. She could answer him when she got up and if she was in trouble, she could text him back.

"Good." Raj sat back down in his seat and when Howard stopped looking at him, he took his own phone out to send Penny a quick text, too.

_You and Sheldon are together now, aren't you? ;)_

* * *

They made it back to the hotel late that night. Neither Penny nor Sheldon had wanted to go to the hotel after their talk in the park. So, they walked around the streets of Paris. Sheldon even allowed Penny to hold his hand as they walked and didn't even protest...much when she took off her heels to walk.

"The first thing you are going to do when we get back is watch your feet, Penny. There are probably several million germs on them, right now."

"Okay, okay." She smiled. Truthfully, that had been the first thing she planned on doing, anyway.

When they got to the room, she went to her room first to gather her night clothes. If she was going to clean her feet, then she might as clean the rest of her. "Would you like to watch a movie, Penny once you get out?" Sheldon asked from the doorway of his room.

"Sure. You pick." _I'll probably fall asleep before it's over, anyway._ The events of the day, though very exciting and everything she had hoped it would, was catching up with her and she was actually looking forward to this shower. Sitting on the couch, snuggled next to Sheldon would be the icing on the cake for the day.

Half hour later, Penny wrapped herself in one of the hotel's bathrobes (with her pajamas on underneath of course) and took a seat next to Sheldon, who was also in his pajamas. This was a little surprising because he usually only put on his pajamas right before he went to bed.

"You ready, Penny?" He asked as she snuggled close to his side.

"Yes." He moved to hit the play button. "Wait!" She stopped him. "One more thing." She leaned up and kissed him on the mouth. Sheldon's arm went around her waist and pulled her closer. They kissed for a few more minutes before Penny sat back down glued herself to her side.

"Now, are you ready?" He asked, this time his mouth was a little swollen.

"Yes."

Penny didn't know the name of the movie they were watching and she didn't care. She didn't even make it half way through before she fell asleep.

* * *

**There is probably going to only be about three or four more chapters left. This story has been three years in the making and that's a long time for me! :)**

**Just curious. Is there anything you would like to see in the next few chapters? Keep in my mind that this story is rated T and will stay that way! ;)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a short chapter for you all. I'll admit, it's not my greatest work, but I started school this week and I'm already overwhelmed with homework. I just wanted to get something out while I could because I have no idea when I'll be able to do so again.

**Chapter Twenty-** **Eight**

That morning when Penny woke up, she was surprised to find herself in her bed and not on the couch. She had thought for sure that when Sheldon saw that she had fallen asleep during the movie he would have left her there. Of course, he would have gotten her a pillow and a blanket, but that would have been the extent of what he was going to do.

Or so she thought.

Climbing out of bed, her stomach growled, telling her that she was starving, but first she needed to brush her hair and teeth. She had to look somewhat presentable when she saw Sheldon. Especially, if she wanted to kiss him some more. Which she most definitely wanted.

Once she cleaned up a bit, she met Sheldon in the living room. Instead of sitting on the couch, he was standing by the window looking at the city. Penny joined him, her breath catching when she saw how beautiful it was, despite the Eiffel Tower not being one of the things being seen.

"Good morning, Penny." His eyes went from the window to Penny. "I hope you slept well."

"I did," she gave him a smile that reviled the sun. "Thank you for carrying me to my bed. Unless..." she narrowed her eyes. "You dragged me there, instead."

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "You're not that heavy, Penny and I only had to carry you a short distance."

"Well, thank you." She slipped an arm around his waist and leaned her head on his shoulder, so they could enjoy the view together. "I can't believe that today is our last day here."

"It is and we shouldn't be spending it indoors. It's a beautiful day. Why don't you go get dressed and I'll take you out for breakfast."

"Great!" She went up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Give me five." At a look, she amended, "Okay, _fifteen_ minutes and I'll be right out."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they were walking own the street looking for a perfect place to have their breakfast. On the way, they passed numerous cafes Penny would have been more than happy to eat at, but Sheldon hadn't found the one he wanted to, yet.

In her pocket, her phone vibrated and Penny took out it to see who it was. She had two texts, which had been spent a few hours earlier. The vibrate was reminding her of them. One text was from Leonard. Penny rolled her eyes before reading what it said.

_Hi, Penny. I hope everything is going okay. I just got a bad feeling in my gut. I hope it's not because you want to kill Sheldon lol_

Penny typed a quick reply, _Everything is fine and no, I don't want to kill Sheldon._

The other one was from Raj, which put a smile on Penny's face. This one read: _You and Sheldon are together now, aren't you?_ _;)_ It was sent right after Leonard's message.

 _Yeah, we're together now :)_ She replied and placed the phone back in her pocket. She looked up to see that Sheldon was watching her. "Yes?" She asked.

"Everything okay back home?"

"Were you being nosy?" She nudged him in the ribs gently and smiled, not minding at all.

"Of course not. I was just being curious."

"Well, Leonard asked if things were okay here and Raj knows about us, now. He figured it out on his own."

"Hmm. Impressive." Sheldon looked impressed. "We're not even in the same country and he figured that out. Does anyone else, now? Leonard? Howard?" Penny didn't know which one he looked more freaked out over.

"I don't think so. But they'll have to know eventually." She reached for his hand, still surprised that he was willing to hold hers. "Right? We aren't going to hide this. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be able to keep it a secret for long."

"You are right. Do you think we could tell them over a text and not to their faces?" The idea _did_ sound appealing to Penny, but she knew that was the coward's way out. Besides, they had no reason to hide their relationship. Howard would tease them mercilessly for a while and Leonard would be upset and possible even mad, though he had no reason to be. He didn't have any claim on Penny. They had never dated and for that, she was glad. She could admit that Leonard was a good friend, and he was when his jealousy didn't get in the way, but she knew he wouldn't have been a good person to date. For her, anyway.

"We have nothing to hide. We'll tell them and not care what they say. Okay?"

Sheldon paused for a moment. "Okay. I trust you."

Penny kissed his cheek. "You better. Now, how about that breakfast?"

* * *

The rest of the day seemed to fly by and Penny wished their was a way to freeze time. Maybe she could convince Sheldon to invent a device that could do that. She knew that he had the starts to do so.

After breakfast, they went to the Louvre. Penny had never been very interested in art before, but walking through the art museum gave her a new appreciation for it. Especially when she saw the famed Mona Lisa.

Their next step was the Arc de Triomphe, which they saw from across the street. Penny, however, did manage to get Sheldon into taking a selfie with her with the monument in the background.

Lunch was quick and easy, since they weren't willing to stop for a long period of time to eat since there was so much to see. They passed the Eiffel Tower again and Penny snapped more pictures with she and Sheldon.

With their lunch in their hands, they made their way to their next step. Notre Dame Cathedral. "It's so beautiful," Penny said in awe at the outside of it. "Disney's _Hunchback of Notre Dame_ didn't do this justice."

"Penny, that was a cartoon. Of course, it doesn't." She looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "The real beauty is inside. Come on." He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the doors of the cathedral.

Penny's breath was stolen from her when she saw the beautiful stained-glass windows. Dozens of other tourists were looking around, as well. But Penny ignored them as she walked around the whole room. Sheldon silently followed, their hands were still joined. He was just as much as in awe as Penny.

It felt like they had been in the cathedral for only minutes, but in reality had been two hours. They walked out to see that the sun was quickly making its way to the horizon, meaning the day was nearly over. Immediately, tears sprang to Penny's eyes. Sheldon wrapped an arm around her shoulders and didn't say anything as they started their long walk back to their hotel.

"I don't want this to end, Sheldon. Can't you get a job here and we can live here forever?" Penny asked as they took the elevator up to their room.

"Penny, you know I can't do that," he said. "We'll come back here, again. Hopefully sometime in the near future."

"I know." She sighed and leaned her head on his chest. With one hand, Sheldon took out their room key and unlocked the door. Room service had visited while they had been gone and the place was even cleaner than when they had left, if that was even possible.

"Sheldon," Penny pulled away from him. "I have new sheets on bed and if I take a shower, will you sleep with me tonight?"

Sheldon's eyes went as wide as saucers. "Uh..."

"Not like _that_. I know you're not ready for that, yet. Today was perfect and if you were to, uh, share my bed, it would make it even better."

"If it was already perfect, then nothing needs to be done to make it better."

"Sheldon, you know what I mean."

"But, I _will_ sleep with you, Penny." He took a deep breath afterwards and Penny knew he was most definitely stepping out of his comfort zone. Penny did a little excited jump and kissed Sheldon on the cheek before rushing to gather her clothes for a shower.

* * *

An hour later, Penny and Sheldon laid under Penny's comforter. Sheldon was assuming his vampire pose and Penny was on her side facing him, content with just having him near. "Thank you for doing this," she said and reached over to squeeze his hand briefly. "And I promise to stay on my side of the bed."

Sheldon turned his head on the pillow, still looking nervous but staying in his spot. "Penny, I...wouldn't be mad if, during the night, you were to roll onto my side."

Penny beamed, knowing what he met. "Okay." She kissed him quickly. "Good night, Sheldon."

"Good night, Penny."


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

Penny woke up at an absurdly early hour. It was still dark out and the clock by the bed read five-thirty. The night before, Sheldon had set the alarm to six-thirty and wanted them to be in a cab on their way to the airport by seven-thirty. Their plane left at ten and they would be on it for a daunting eleven hours before they landed in LAX. Penny was okay with the length of time. It was Sheldon she would be worried about.

Sheldon shifted a little in his vampire pose and Penny quickly closed her eyes, feigning sleep. She wasn't ready to get up yet and sometime in the night, she had 'accidentally' curled into Sheldon's side. She had never been so comfortable in her life and wasn't willing to give that up, yet. Moving closer to his side, once he settled again and didn't appear to be waking up, Penny closed her eyes once more. This time it was so she could go back to sleep.

An hour later, the shrill beeping of the alarm clock had her groggily opening her eyes. Instead of being curled into Sheldon's side, she was facing the opposite way and had an arm slung across her waist. Somehow in the hour since she had fallen back asleep, she and Sheldon had shifted in their sleep. Not that she minded at all. In fact, this was even better than before. There was no way she was getting out of bed now.

However, Sheldon had other ideas. The arm around her waist disappeared and the mattress sank as Sheldon stood. "Penny, it is time to get up. We only have an hour to get packed and to be out the door."

Penny rolled over and battered her eyelashes. "Five more minutes, Sheldon. Please." She reached for the cuff his pajama top and tugged. "And I want you with me for those five minutes."

"Tempting as that is, Penny, I know that if I were to climb back into that bed with you, we would surely miss our flight because I wouldn't want to leave."

Penny wasn't deterred. "Then, let's miss our flight." She reached for him, again. This time, he side-stepped her hands with reluctance, she noticed.

"Penny, you know we can't do that. I must return to work on Monday and if we don't leave on this plan, I won't get a sufficient amount of rest."

Penny threw the covers from her legs and sat up. "I know," she pouted. He _was_ right. She, too, had to return to work at the Cheesecake Factory on Monday. Something she was _not_ looking forward to.

Sheldon cupped her cheeks and pressed a kiss to her forehead, which was one of the first kisses he had initiated. "Things will not change once we laid in the US, I promise you that and I will always treasure the time we had here. Now, I'm going to take a shower and start to pack. I suggest you do the same." He took a step away from her. "Unfortunately, breakfast will have to be on the go since we are ten minutes behind schedule and counting."

There was the old Sheldon peeking through. Penny smiled and hopped from the bed, ready to do just as Sheldon asked. In a little more than twelve hours, they would be back at their apartments. They would be joined by Leonard, Howard and Raj and work would separate them some days, but things would not change between them. That was for sure.

**Fourteen Hours Later**

Penny walked off the plane on wobbly legs after having to sit in one spot for eleven hours. Sheldon, however, didn't seem to have any difficulty in walking as they descended from the plane. In fact, he looked well put together and rested. _How_? Penny asked herself. She knew that she had to look an absolute mess.

Flying back to LA had given them nine hours back and Penny planned on sleeping for all of them once she returned to her apartment and bed.

Leonard was supposed to be the one to pick them up and once they claimed their luggage, Penny went in search of the shorter man. She and Sheldon talked amiably as they walked through the airport in search of their friend. Penny was glad to see that things hadn't changed since they left Europe. Sheldon was still comfortable with her and a few times, as his hands brushed hers, he felt his pinky twine with hers for a second.

While they were looking, they couldn't hold hands. Not until they told everyone of their relationship status. Leonard would be in shock and maybe angry, if he were to find out instead of being told.

"There he is," Sheldon said and pointed with a long arm in front of them. He had several inches on Penny and she couldn't see Leonard until they were standing right in front of them. Leonard saw her and his smile widened.

"Penny!" he exclaimed and shifted, nervously, almost as if he wanted to reach forward to give her a hug. Penny resisted the urge to roll her eyes and pulled her friend into a hug. She had no qualms about hugging men that were her friends and when she stepped back to look at Sheldon, he didn't seem upset by it, either.

 _At least,_ _he doesn't seem to be the jealous type,_ Penny thought. _But he probably thinks that he's the best choice for me, anyway. Which, honestly, I think he is. Huh..._ Never in a million years would Penny have thought that when they first met those few years ago. My, how she had changed. _For the better,_ she reminded her self because it was so true.

"Leonard." Sheldon nodded his greeting and his short friend finally took his eyes off Penny to greet him back.

"Uh, follow me," he said. "Penny, would you like me to carry your suitcase?" The suitcase had wheels and was easy to manage. Penny didn't think he would have been able to carry it if it wasn't gliding on the floor.

"No, thank you, Leonard. I got it." Sheldon looked at and rolled his eyes, looking annoyed. Penny giggled and they followed Leonard out to his car. Honestly, now that she thought about it, Penny was shocked that Howard and Raj weren't there with them. Taking her phone out and typing with one hand, she sent Raj a text.

_So I'm not good enough to pick up at the airport? Thought you would miss me! ;)_

Raj reply came a minute later. _Leonard wanted to get you two on his own._

_Figures :/ I_ _'_ _ll see u later, right?_

_Of course! :) We'll come by to eat. Unfortunately Howard will be there_

_Believe it or not, I missed that little pervert ;) I'll probably regret saying that tho_

_You probably will_

Penny slipped the phone into her back pocket as they approached the car. Leonard popped the trunk and went to help Penny put her bag into it. However, Sheldon beat him to it, which seemed to surprise his much shorter friend.

"Thanks, sweetie," Penny said and gave him a sunny smile. She would have given him a kiss on the cheek if Leonard wasn't watching them so closely.

"You're welcome, Penny." He gave her a smile.

After placing his own bag in the back, he walked to the front of the car and opened the passenger's seat. Penny went for the door behind it, but Sheldon decided that he would surprise her even more. "Penny, would you like to sit in the front?" Luckily, Leonard had slammed the trunk shut during the question and hadn't heard Sheldon's words, otherwise he would start asking questions Penny didn't want to answer.

"Um. Sure. If you don't want to." Before she could slide in the passenger's seat, Sheldon leaned down to whisper something in her ear.

"I'll be keeping an eye on Leonard, though." Without a word, Sheldon folded himself in the back seat. His long legs butted against the back of Penny's chair, but he didn't make her trade with him. When Leonard got behind the wheel, he almost did a double take when he saw that Penny was sitting next to him.

"What-"

"Sheldon lost a bet on the plane," she lied. The lie must have been good enough for Leonard because he only shrugged and started the car.

"So, how was Germany, Penny?" Leonard asked conversationally once they got on the road.

"It was wonderful!" Penny exclaimed. "The sites were beautiful and the food was amazing. But I liked being in Paris more."

"P-Paris? You two went to Paris?" Leonard looked at Sheldon in the rear view mirror, eyes wide. "I didn't know that. Did you have to speak at a university there as well?"

"No, I did not. I thought Penny would enjoy a few days in the popular city and I was right."

"Oh, Leonard, the city was _so_ romantic." She made eye contact with Sheldon in the mirror briefly and winked. Leonard hadn't noticed. "And to think, Sheldon kept it all a secret until we arrived there! I was so surprised."

"He kept it a secret?" He was looking as if he was having a hard time taking it all in. "Sheldon actually kept a secret?"

"A big one, too! He's getting better at them."

Leonard looked at his friend in the rear view mirror once more. "Is there any more secrets that you're not telling me?" Penny knew what he was doing and wasn't impressed.

"No, Leonard," Sheldon answered without a tic.

Penny secretly smiled to herself. _And it looks like he_ _'_ _s gotten better at lying, too._

* * *

A little while later, they were carrying their suitcases up the familiar steps of the apartment building. The broken elevator was one thing Penny did not miss while in Europe, especially since her suitcase seemed to get heavier and heavier after each flight.

"The guys will be over later for supper," Leonard said once they reached the fourth floor. "They couldn't make it to pick you up, unfortunately." However, Penny knew the truth, but didn't say anything.

"That is acceptable," Sheldon said. "It will give Penny and I enough time to rest."

"I really could use a nap," Penny agreed. "So, I'll see the two of you later." Going up on her toes, she kissed Sheldon on the cheek. "Thank you so much for the wonderful week, Sheldon."

"You're welcome, Penny," he smiled, a real smile. "Thank you for being there with me. I enjoyed your company almost as much as I liked sharing my knowledge with the students at the university." Penny knew that wasn't true. He had enjoyed lecturing his students, but not as much as he liked being with her. She knew that for a fact. However, it was being said for the benefit of Leonard.

Penny waved at the two of them before fishing out of her key and stepping foot into her apartment for the first time in a week.

* * *

Sheldon waited for Leonard to open the door with his key and was more than ready to lie down for a few hours. The jet lag was catching up to him. However, Leonard had other ideas.

The moment Sheldon closed the door behind him, his short friend turned and asked, "Uh, do you want to catch me up?"


	30. Chapter Thirty

**Chapter Thirty**

"What would you like me to catch you up on, Leonard?" Sheldon asked tiredly. "Our trip? If that is the case, I would like to rest a bit before I do. There is a lot to tell." He continued to walk towards the hall leading to his bedroom with his suitcase rolling behind him.

"No." Leonard scurried after him. "I want you to catch me up on what's going on with you and Penny."

"Leonard," Sheldon sighed, having no time for Leonard's petty jealousy. "When two people spend a week together in a foreign country it is bound to happen that they will get close."

The smaller man crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Sheldon over the top of his glasses. "How close are we talking here?"

"Honestly, Leonard, I would not like to discuss this right now. Give me an hour and I'll tell you about our trip." Not Penny and his relationship with her, though. He would wait until Penny was with him and they were ready to tell everyone.

"Shel-"

"An hour," he said, firmly. "I am not saying another word until I get my hour of rest." He stepped up into the hallway and continued to roll his suitcase. Thankfully, it didn't sound as if Leonard was following him.

"One hour, Sheldon," Leonard called after him. "Then, we're going to talk."

Sheldon slipped out his phone from the front pocket of his pants and sent Penny a quick text message, hoping that she would still be awake enough to see it. _I wish we were back in Europe already._ If he used emoticons, a frowny face would have followed.

Right when he stepped into his room and shut the door, his phone dinged with a new message. It was from Penny, of course. _Leonard?_

He replied with one simple word. _Leonard._

**Fifty** **-Nine** **Minutes** **Later**

Someone knocked on his bedroom door and Sheldon was jolted from his peaceful sleep. Rubbing his eyes and glancing at his clock, he saw that it was exactly an hour later. "Leonard, I was hoping that you would be a good friend and not be exact," he called towards the door.

"It's me."

Penny.

"Oh, well. Come in."

The doorknob twisted and Penny quickly slid into the room before closing the door. She was dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of sweats. Her hair was piled messily on top of her head. "What was that about?" She said, asking about what he had said after she knocked.

"Leonard kept trying to get information out of me after we went our separate ways and I told him to give me an hour to relax."

Penny took a seat next to him. "And it's been exactly on hour, huh?"

"On the dot."

"Typical." Penny sighed and flopped back on the bed.

"So, what are you doing here, then?"

"I laid down to take a nap and just couldn't sleep, though I'm exhausted. I was wondering if I could sleep here." She peeked up at him with pleading eyes, knowing that once again she was asking him to do something out of his comfort zone and this time, it was in his own bed.

"Where's Leonard?"

"Don't know." She shrugged, causing the blanket underneath her to scrunch up with the motion. "I knocked on the door and no one answered, so I let myself in."

"He may be getting dinner or went to visit with Raj or Howard."

"Did you know that he told them to stay behind when he came and got us? Raj told me." She closed her eyes.

"I am afraid he's going to be very angry with us when we tell him the truth." Sheldon sighed, hating confrontations but knowing that this one was probably inevitable.

Penny's eyes were open now. "He has no right. He has no claim on me." She rubbed Sheldon's back comfortably. "For now, let's just hope Leonard will act like a mature adult about this and not worry about it." She moved on the bed until her head was resting on the pillows. She moved over enough so that Sheldon could slip in.

"Leonard's hour is up," Sheldon answered to Penny's silent invitation to join her on the bed.

"Is Leonard here at the moment?"

"No."

"Then, you still have some time to relax." She patted the bed, again. "I promise I won't try anything." She winked.

After only a second of hesitation, Sheldon finally consented and laid in the bed next to Penny. Instantly, his body began to relax on the mattress once more and his eyes closed. Penny was already asleep next to him.

* * *

Leonard returned with the meal just as Raj and Howard walked into the building right on time. "So, how have things been since they've gotten back?" Howard asked as they ascended the stairs. Raj walked a little behind them.

"Weird."

"Weird, how? Sheldon even crazier, now? Penny?"

"No. If anything Sheldon is less...Sheldon. Not by much, though, but enough to tell. On the way to the apartment building, he let Penny have the front seat." Howard paused on the steps in shock.

"No way," he said.

"Yeah." Leonard sighed.

Behind them where they weren't looking, Raj let a small smile show on his face. This was all old news to him, but it was funny to see his friends freak out a little bit.

"So, do you think something has changed between them?" The way Howard waggled his eyebrows; it was no secret as to what he had meant by that question.

"Don't know. Something is different between them, definitely." They were stopped on their landing, but Leonard wasn't willing to go in yet. "I have a feeling that _maybe_ they're together, now." Surprisingly, he didn't look angry. Just disappointed.

"Penny with _Sheldon?_ I don't know." However, while Leonard was taking his keys out to open the door, Howard looked at his best friend remembering a conversation they had only a few days before while drunk.

"How do you think I should react if that's the case?" Leonard asked his friends. Hopefully, Sheldon wasn't up, yet (though the hour was up) and could hear them through the door.

"I think you shouldn't be angry," Raj said. "Penny was never yours to have." That wasn't the kind of answer Leonard wanted, so he looked at Howard, hoping he would back him up.

"I got to agree with Raj on this, buddy. If Penny wanted to be with you, she would have made it clear. She's straight-forward like that."

"I just really thought I had a chance with her, you know? I thought when she moved in across the hall that it was fate we were to meet and fall in love." His eyes took on a wistful look. "We would get married, have four kids that would look like her, and we would have house somewhere near the University. I would be a-"

"Dude, stop. It's starting to get _really_ creepy." Raj stepped forward.

" _Started?"_ Howard looked at his best friend. "It was creepy the moment he opened his mouth to talk."

Raj paused for moment and then, nodded his head. "True. Very true."

Leonard watched the back and forth between the two friends and rolled his eyes. "All right, it _was_ creepy. But I obviously don't think that anymore." His two friends looked at him with a 'we know you're lying' look. "Okay, I _try_ not to think about that anymore."

"It probably will take Sheldon and Penny to get married before you stop thinking that way," Howard said.

"Probably," Raj added.

Leonard, having enough of his friends, finally turned to the door and used his key to open it. The food in his hands had begun to cool and Sheldon would probably throw his out because it was below the acceptable temperature.

At least he had a week without Sheldon's odd behaviors.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to find that Sheldon wasn't already up in his spot waiting for his food. After all, he had told him that he would wake him up in an hour to talk and normally, Sheldon was reliable when it came to time.

"He's still sleeping?" Raj asked and sank into his spot next to Howard, who was sitting in his spot next to The Spot, which he kept looking at mournfully. It truly had been the most comfortable seat in the apartment.

"Looks like it," Leonard replied and started to spread out their food on the small table. "Anyone want to get him?"

"Not it," Howard called immediately, putting a finger on his nose, as well.

Raj stood up, not caring that it looked like he would be the one to get Sheldon. Raj walked down the small hallway and stopped in front of Sheldon's door. Knocking lightly, he stood and waited for the tall, lanky man to answer.

"Leonard, I am surprised you gave me more than an hour to rest," Sheldon was speaking before he opened the door, which he opened only enough so that his lanky frame could fill it. "Oh, Raj. It's you. Hello."

Raj gave him a small wave in return. "Leonard brought food if you're hungry. I can go next door and get Penny, if you want."

"I'm right here." The presence of the blonde had Raj's eyes bugging out of his skull and his lips to glue shut. What was she doing in _Sheldon's_ bedroom? He knew they were together, but he didn't know they were 'together' in that way. At least not yet, anyways.

Raj gave her a small wave, no longer able to speak. Penny rolled her eyes, though she was smiling. "And here I thought that you might be able to talk to me." Raj held up a finger, whipped his phone out, and started to type quickly.

 _Not much has changed here in a week. Though things have seemed to DRASTICALLY change for you two._ Penny's beeped with the message and she quickly read what it said.

"It has," she said. "So, on a scale of one to ten, one being not angry at all and ten being damning us to hell, how mad do you think Leonard will be when he finds out about us?"

Raj tapped his chin for a moment, and then held up three fingers. "Really?" Sheldon and Penny asked at the same time.

"Raj? Are you getting him up?" Leonard's voice caused all three of them to jump and it was coming closer. Without thinking, it seemed, Raj shoved Penny back into Sheldon's room. Surprisingly, she didn't make a sound as it happened. Sheldon closed the door a little more so that no one could see inside his room just in time to see Leonard turn the corner.

"There you are," he said when he saw Sheldon. "I brought us dinner."

"That was very kind of you, Leonard," Sheldon said, earning him an odd look from his small friend.

"Uh...no problem. I also got something for Penny, as well, if you want to go and get here." With that he walked into the bathroom and shut the door, making it perfect for Penny to be able to slip out of Sheldon's room without Leonard knowing she was there. However, they didn't think about Howard.

When he saw Penny shoot from the hallway on socked feet, his eyes grew wide and he stopped the fork halfway to his mouth. "You had Penny in your _bedroom_?" He asked Sheldon, who calmly took a seat on his spot.

"I did," he answered simply as he reached for his container of food.

Penny pulled one of the computer chairs over to the table and sat down. "And if you say anything to Leonard about it, I'll probably kill you." It wasn't one of her best comebacks, but it seemed Howard got the picture and clammed up.

"Got it."

Raj took his seat next to Howard just as Leonard came out of the bathroom. Seeing Penny, he blinked a little in surprise and looked at Sheldon. "Well, that was fast."

"She was right at the door when Sheldon opened it to get her!" Howard said a little too loudly, but no one said anything about it. Penny gave him a little smile over her container of food. Sometimes, she found Howard adorable. Oh God...she was going to live to regret thinking that.

Leonard looked at Howard oddly for a moment before turning to Penny. "Well, I'm glad you're here with us. We missed eating with you...and Sheldon. Right, guys." Howard and Raj nodded their heads enthusiastically.

 _Well, I didn't miss eating with you all,_ she thought. _Especially since I had Sheldon all to myself._ Of course, she wouldn't have dreamed about saying that aloud and just returned Leonard's smile.

Once they were all finished with their food, Leonard popped in movie. Penny thought it was one of the Star Treks, but she wasn't really paying attention. Besides the computer being very uncomfortable to sit in for a while, she wished she could be curled into Sheldon's side, like she had in Germany. Things were going to be a lot different now that they were back. But she knew that the sooner they told Leonard (since Raj and Howard already knew) the sooner he would get over it and the sooner she and Sheldon started acted like a couple. Well... _try_ to act like a couple in Sheldon's case.

Sharing a look with Sheldon, she knew that he was thinking the same thing. Tonight, once Raj and Howard left, they would finally tell Leonard everything.

* * *

**Sorry if things seem to drawn out. I'm reluctant to end this story...and write Leonard's reaction. I think in this chapter you can kind of tell which direction I'm going to go with him. But I still want to sit down and think about it for a bit. Don't worry though! The next chapter shouldn't take me long to update (and if it does, it's because of school and not because of writer's block).**

**Thanks for reading!**


	31. Chapter Thirty-One

**Chapter Thirty-One**

Penny almost lunged for Raj to tell him to stay awhile longer when he and Howard stood to go. She wasn't ready to face Leonard, yet. But it would have to be done eventually, especially if she and Sheldon wanted to make their relationship public. Sneaking around could be fun, Penny knew this from experience, but after awhile it could get exhausting and Penny didn't want to have any part of her relationship with Sheldon to get exhausting. Annoying, yes. She never wanted to get tired of him, though. She was in this relationship for the long haul.

"See you both later," Leonard told his friends as he cleaned up the remaining garbage from the table. Sheldon said the same thing back, but in a much more...Sheldon-y way.

"See you both at work on Monday. And Penny, I'll see you...whenever," Howard said and Raj waved as they finally left the apartment. Tomorrow was Sunday and, though they usually had a set schedule for Sundays, they had decided to give Sheldon a day off. Surprisingly, he had been okay with the change. The hour of rest he had gotten earlier had been enough to spend a few hours with his friends, but he would need a lot more if he were to return to work on Monday.

Once the door closed, Leonard turned to the two of them. "You have something you want to tell me...don't you?" His eyebrows furrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest, trying to act nonchalant but not succeeding.

Sheldon was the first to speak. "We do."

"You probably won't like it," Penny added and brought her knees up to her chest. Luckily, the chair allowed her to do so without tipping backwards. She needed something to do with her hands and gripping her knees close was the best thing she could have done at the moment, short of gnawing all of her fingernails off.

Leonard took a seat in his chair and sighed. "You two are...together," he guessed.

"Yes," Sheldon answered after looking at Penny to make sure it was all right. "I did not think we made it that obvious."

"You said I wouldn't like it, Sheldon. I don't like that." Leonard looked as if someone had taken his heart and ripped in two and Penny didn't feel sorry for him one bit. She wasn't his and she had never even given him reason to think that she would be interested in dating him. After all, the only 'date' they had ever gone on was when he had tricked her.

Thinking about it got Penny a little angry, but she was careful not to dwell on it. She wanted this conversation to be calm and mature. There was no reason to bring up old thing...unless Leonard tried to do the same.

"Well, it happened," Penny supplied. "And it didn't just happen because we were only in Europe, either. I've had feelings for Sheldon for...a while, now." That was hard to admit a loud, but it was all the truth.

Leonard's eyes looked like they wanted to pop from his skull and even Sheldon looked a little surprised at that, though he should have figured out some of the extent of her feelings before they had finally taken that leap together. But this was _Sheldon_ , she supposed. And who knew, it looked as if she had done good job of hiding it from everyone.

Leonard opened and closed his mouth a few times, looking like he wanted to say something but something in his head was stopping him. Sheldon turned to his friend and waited patiently, hands on his knees, for Leonard to say something. However, Penny wasn't so patient.

"What did you want to say?" At the last minute, she stopped herself from snapping. She wanted this to continue to be a calm conversation. It was already going better than she had hoped and didn't want to ruin it.

"B-But how?" He sounded as if his brain had just shorted out.

"Simple," Sheldon spoke before Penny could, which was fine by her. "Penny kissed me, _before_ we went on our date I might add," he paused to smile over at her for a brief second. "And we decided that it would be in our best interest to start a relationship."

"That's not what I meant! And... you were taking her out on a date?"

"Yes. While we were on Paris, I thought it would be a perfect time to take Penny on one. It is the 'City of Love', after all." He even used air quotes.

"You went to Paris?!"

Sheldon sighed. "That is what I said. And I do not understand, Leonard. What were you asking _exactly_ when you said 'how'?"

"He wants to know I came to have feelings for you," Penny answered Sheldon and shot a glare at Leonard, who still looked to be in total shock and didn't seem to notice the look.

"Oh, I see." Sheldon blinked. "Well, to my understanding, that when two people spend a lot of time with one another, they start to know each other better and find out their strengths and faults. Penny's strengths far out weigh her faults and I found myself enjoying spending time with her...immensely."

Penny smiled, but it didn't look as if she Sheldon was done.

"When I was in my slump at work those months after the... _incident_ , she was the one to make sure I was all right. She made sure I ate and that I didn't overwork myself. In turn, I came to care about what went on in her daily life and cheered her on when she had an audition and was almost as excited as she when she got a part. These past several months we have gone from friends to best friends to...girlfriend and boyfriend." He looked at Penny. "Did I explain that right?"

Penny was speechless for several seconds. "You explained that perfectly, Sheldon." Sheldon nodded and turned back to Leonard.

"There you have it, Leonard. That is the 'how'."

It took Leonard a few minutes to process everything that was being said and Penny allowed him that. She would feel the same way if she were in Leonard's shoes. Five minutes later, he asked, "So, Penny, there was no chance for...us?"

"No, Leonard," she said, shaking her head. "There never was. You're a nice guy." _Sometimes..._ "But I never thought of you like that."

"Okay." He stood from his armchair. "I-I appreciate that you two have told me the truth and didn't try to hide it. It's going to take me a few days to process everything. Is that okay?"

Penny could do that. After all, she didn't expect to fully support their relationship right away. "Yeah, that's okay. And thanks for not being a jerk about this. We almost waited to tell you because we thought you would be super angry, but Raj told us that you wouldn't be that angry."

"Raj knows?"

"Yeah. He figured it out while we were in Europe somehow and since he knew, Howard does, too," Penny answered.

Leonard took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. Is that way Howard was acting a little off earlier?"

"Yep."

"All right, then." He ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I'm going to head to bed. I'll see you two later." With that, he turned and left the room.

When Penny heard the door to Leonard's room close, she took the seat he had just vacated. "That went way better than I thought."

"I know. I'm glad. I don't know how I would feel if Leonard would be angry with me. He is my roommate and friend, after all." Penny reached for his hand and squeezed.

"I understand."

"He was the easy person to tell, though." He wasn't looking at her.

"Easiest? Who else do we have to tell?" Penny racked her mind for anyone else they both knew that would need to know about their relationship status.

"Meemaw! Oh, and my mother, too."


	32. Chapter Thirty-Two

**This is just a filler chapter but its my Spring Break this week and I really needed to get something out before I go back to school. I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

Penny went to bed with her stomach in knots. Only a half hour before, Sheldon had kissed her goodnight before walking back to his apartment and only an hour before that since he had dropped the bomb that they would be telling his mom and _grandmother_ about their relationship.

Of course, Penny knew they would have to _eventually_. But the way Sheldon sounded, it was like he wanted to do it tomorrow. Penny wasn't ready. Well, honestly, she didn't know if she'd ever be ready. She had only met his mother once and she had seemed to like her well-enough, but she wasn't sure if she liked her enough to date her son. And then, there was Meemaw. They had never met and Penny had no idea what to expect when they finally did.

Sheldon loved her so much and looked up to her, too. What if she didn't like Penny? What would Sheldon do? Would he dump her? Her breath stuttered out of her at that. They had finally had taken that leap and were together, now. Would Sheldon really throw that all away if his Meemaw didn't approve? Penny hoped not. Maybe she could ask him about it tomorrow. He'd be honest with her.

She hoped.

* * *

When Leonard had found out that his best friend and the woman he loved were together, he felt as if his heart was shattered. Though there had been many women before Penny, like Leslie, who had much in common with him, he had always thought that the blonde across the hall was the one for him.

 _So much for that_ , he thought mournfully and turned on his side in the bed. However, deep down, deep deep _deep_ down, he had known that he and Penny weren't meant to be and that, oh God he couldn't believe he was going to admit it, she and Sheldon had a much better connection and, dare he say it, chemistry.

Yes, they fought and those got pretty heated sometimes, they always seemed to make up and went right back to where they had been before. Leonard, on the other hand, seemed to lose points with Penny whenever they argued and never gained them back.

He needed to grow up, though. That was why he hadn't exploded on Sheldon and Penny, even though he had wanted to. _Badly._ And had even, for a second, felt that he would have been justified in doing so. But he kept it all in, like a mature adult and kept the conversation calm as he allowed them to tell all of how their relationship had started. Leonard had never seen Sheldon this open when he talked of emotions, making Leonard really believe that what Sheldon and Penny had was the real deal.

So, he didn't yell or scream. But he was upset and heartbroken. Hey, he was human, after all. It would take him a little bit to get used to them and heaven forbid if he ever walked in on them kissing or having... He shuddered at the thought.

"Let's not scar yourself, Leonard," he said to himself before closing his eyes and finally drifting to sleep.

* * *

Sheldon was excited to tell his Meemaw about Penny.

That night, he didn't fall asleep right away (it also didn't help that the flight had messed up his schedule). He kept thinking about how Meemaw would react to the news that her grandson finally had a girlfriend. In the numerous letters he sent to her, Sheldon talked of Penny and Meemaw had also responded in kind to the woman, though they had never met. Nothing would change once they did, Sheldon was sure. His mother was a different story, though.

Mary Cooper hadn't minded Penny when she had met her that one time, but Sheldon didn't know if her feelings would change once she found out that Penny and Sheldon were together. Frankly, Sheldon thought they shouldn't. In fact, his mom should love Penny even more for being with him. Wasn't she always nagging him about finding a girl, anyways?

Rolling over in bed (something he rarely did), he closed his eyes finally. Tomorrow, he would talk with Penny and they would decide when it would be best to tell his family about them. He didn't read emotions well, but he knew that Penny was very nervous to tell them. He would wait until she was ready, which he hoped wouldn't be long. The moment they had decided they were together, Sheldon had wanted to write a letter to Meemaw right then.

Sheldon reached for his phone, which was charging on the night table beside his bed. Though, they had said goodnight to one another before going their separate ways, Sheldon wanted to text Penny good night, as well and to invite her over for breakfast (though he knew deep down that she was going to come over, anyway).

 _Penny, would you like to come over for breakfast in the morning? If you are still asleep, please ignore this message._ Sheldon placed his phone back on the table and waited, knowing that Penny was probably fast asleep. However, when his phone lit up and vibrated with a new message, he was surprised.

_I'm up :) And I would love to come by for breakfast. What are you making?_

Sheldon was grateful that Penny seemed in the mood to use proper grammar as she texted him. Not that he really minded when she didn't. _What would you like me to make?_

 _What you don't have a set schedule?_ Her reply came seconds later.

_I do, but I am willing to make whatever it is you want._

_Hmm...Surprise me! ;)_

Sheldon rolled to his back, phone still in hand and sighed with a roll of his eyes. _I'll try._ _But do not get mad if you don't like it!_ A smile quirked on his lips.

_Don't worry, I won't. :)_

_Then, I shall see you in the morning, Penny. Goodnight!_

_Goodnight, sweetie!_

Sheldon plugged his phone back to its charger and rolled once more to his back. Now, he was ready for sleep. Talking with Penny always seemed to calm and make him feel good. Closing his eyes, he went to sleep with a slight smile on his face.

* * *

Something smelled good as Penny opened the door to Sheldon and Leonard's apartment. Leonard didn't seem to be up, yet, or he wasn't out in the kitchen and Sheldon had his back to her. On the counter, there was a spread of various breakfast foods. Penny's mouth watered.

"Good morning, Penny," Sheldon greeted over his shoulder.

"Morning, sweetie," she replied and pulled out one of the stools by the counter. "I hope you slept well last night."

"I did. Thank you. And you?" Though, he was still cooking he made sure to look at her as he spoke. Such a gentleman, he was.

"Great!" She looked at the spread of food in front of her. Eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, orange juice and she was sure that Sheldon was making pancakes at the stove. "Honey, you didn't have to make all of this for me." She knew it was for her because Sheldon wouldn't have eaten all of that food for himself.

"You're my girlfriend, now and as I understand it, I'm supposed to take care of you." He brought over the skillet he had been cooking it in and slid a perfectly cooked pancake on her plate. "I hope this is satisfactory."

If there wasn't a counter between them, Penny would have kissed Sheldon senseless. Instead, she had to settle for saying, "It's more than satisfactory, Sheldon. Thank you." Sheldon looked pleased with himself and went back to the stove to make himself a pancake.

"Oh, before I forget, there's a pot of coffee over here." He pointed to the pot with his spatula and Penny nearly cried at the sight of it. Sheldon hated the stuff, but knew she loved it. They had only been together for a few days and already, Sheldon was the best boyfriend she had ever had. Though, there really wasn't much competition for that.

"You're the best!" She slipped from her stool and went to the cupboard to get a mug. Instinctively, she reached for one of the Batman ones, but then stopped. Just because she was Sheldon's girlfriend didn't mean she could just use his stuff whenever. Especially, when she used to do it before, it annoyed him. So, she reached for a plan white one instead.

"Go on, Penny. You can use one of mine," he said without even looking in her direction. He had already known what she had been reaching for. Tears came to her eyes at how sweet he was being. She knew that it wasn't always going to be like this, but when it wasn't, she would remember times like this and it would make things better.

Penny chose her favorite of the Batman mugs and poured it full of coffee. Creamer and sugar were already sitting by her plate and she went to make it perfect. As she stirred, turning the liquid a light brown, Sheldon took a seat next to her with his plate. Seeing her chance, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek and loved it when he blushed. "Thank you for all of this, Sheldon. Really. It's going to be hard for me to top this."

"Oh, Penny. You don't need to worry about that," he said with a wave of his hand. "This is something I wished to do for you and I don't need you to return the favor."

"But I want to. You deserve it." She poured syrup over her pancake and quickly started to devour it. The way she was eating wasn't very ladylike, but Sheldon had been around her long enough to not mind it.

At that moment, Leonard made an appearance in the kitchen. His hair was sticking up and he still looked half-asleep. "Something smells real good," he said and padded more into the room, heading straight for the coffee.

"Yes, I made breakfast for Penny. However, there is plenty here for you to have some, as well."

Leonard turned to the lay out of food and took a sip of his black coffee. His eyes widened and he reached for a plate. "Thanks, buddy," he said and helped himself to large portions of everything. Despite just finding out about them the night before, he seemed to be comfortable around them now. At least, he wasn't holding a grudge and trying to make their lives miserable. It looked like Leonard had grown up.

"Isn't this the best thing to wake up to?" Penny gushed, hoping to make some kind of conversation with the other man.

"It's certainly up there," Leonard answered with a smile, looking more awake, and took his plate to his chair in the living room. Penny was glad to see that he was giving them a little space, as well. Not that there was much room on the counter for another person, anyway.

Together, the three of them ate in silence. Penny didn't think she had ever been so full in her life. Everything had looked so good, so of course she had to try everything.

"I'll do the dishes," she said when she forced the last bite down her throat. Sheldon and Leonard were already finished and were stacking the dishes by the sink. She added her dish to the pile and began to fill the sink with hot water and suds.

"Are you sure, Penny?" Sheldon asked, knowing how much she hated doing dishes. At her apartment, she always had a stack of them waiting to be cleaned.

"You cooked, I'll clean." She shooed him away.

"All right," he said, reluctantly. "I'll go and take a shower, then." Leonard had disappeared in his room to get dressed for the day. Penny wondered if he had plans with the guys today.

"Okay. And maybe once you get out, we can discuss what we'll tell your mother and Meemaw."

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	33. Chapter Thirty-Three

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

Penny sat in the living room and waited for Sheldon to emerge from the shower. Leonard had yet to make an appearance and Penny wondered if he was just giving them some privacy, which she was grateful for. He seemed to be taking their relationship well and Penny was proud of him. He had surely grown up in the time she had known him. Sheldon, as well.

As she sat there, she couldn't help but get more and more nervous. Once Sheldon came back to the living room, they would discuss what they would tell his mom and Meemaw. Penny was afraid of their reactions to her. She knew that once she told her parents about Sheldon, they would be happy. Proud, even. She couldn't have picked a better man. Sheldon was a doctor, financially secure and treated Penny right. That was all they could ask for their daughter. However, she knew Sheldon could do much better than her. She wasn't anything special. She was just the blonde across the hall, who struggled to pay the rent and who, after five years, finally got her first big acting job in a play. She really wasn't anything to write home about.

"Penny? What's wrong?" So lost in her thoughts, Penny hadn't heard Sheldon walk into the room, hair still damp and shirts clinging to his damp skin.

"Nothing, Sheldon." She gave him her sunniest smile, hoping that it would deter him to how she really feeling.

"I don't believe you." Sheldon of old would have seen the smile and thought things were fine, but the new Sheldon knew when something was troubling her and it looked as if he wasn't going to accept 'nothing' for an answer.

"You got me, Sheldon," she sighed. "I'm just nervous about telling your mom and Meemaw about us." She kept her gaze on her lap, even when he took the seat next to her on the couch. "What if they don't like me? I mean, your mom didn't seem to mind me when we met that one time, but I wasn't dating you back then."

Sheldon reached over and grabbed her hands, a gesture that was taking Penny a little to get used to nowadays. "They'll like you, Penny. I'll tell them how happy you make me, and they'll have no choice but to love you, too."

"Love?" Her head lifted.

"U-Uh. Yes. They'll love you." This time, it was Sheldon who looked away.

"Okay." Penny took a deep breath. "Let's call them and get this over with."

Sheldon got to his feet and went to retrieve the phone. He held the device in his hand and looked down at her. "You know, once this is over they're going to want to come down for a visit."

Penny sighed. "I know. I wouldn't expect nothing less from your mother." She gave him a weak smile and willed her heart to stop racing. Soon, she would be talking to Mrs. Cooper and she needed to be calm about it.

Sheldon dialed a number and sat back in his spot as it rang. Penny wrung her hands in her lap and worried her lip. "Mother?" The sound of his voice caused her to jump, he looked at her and placed a hand on her knee.

"I know I called you just two weeks ago for our monthly call, but-"

"No, I didn't lose my job again. Yo- Yes, I came back from Europe yesterday." This time he had to hold the phone away from his ear as the angry voice of his mother blasted at him. When it seemed like she was finished yelling, he brought the phone back to his ear.

"I was too tired to call you yesterday, Mother, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine." He sighed and rolled his eyes. "It was good. I enjoyed myself." Pause. "No. That's what I've been wanting to tell you. I didn't go by myself, I went with Penny."

The smile left Penny's face, knowing what was coming next.

"No, I'm not lying." He glanced at her. "No, she didn't lose a bet!" It was clear that Sheldon was getting very agitated with his mother and if Penny were braver, she would have taken the phone from him and told Mrs. Cooper the news herself.

"Mother, can I just say what I called you about?" There was another pause and Sheldon sighed in relief. "Thank you. Okay, here it goes. Penny and I are together." This time when he pulled the phone from his ear, Penny could clearly hear the 'What?' on the other end.

"No, she didn't lose a bet. For the last time."

"Sheldon. Let me talk to her." When she reached for the phone, she tried to ignore the way her hand was shaking.

"You sure?" He mouthed.

She nodded and he handed her the phone. "Hi, Mrs. Cooper."

_"Oh, honey, call me Mary."_

"Okay...Mary. What Sheldon said was true. We're t-together." Penny glanced at Sheldon, but didn't linger. If she did, then she knew she would lose her nerve. "I've had feelings for your son for a long time a-and when we were in Europe, we admitted them to one another."

_"Oh, my Lord! So it is true! I can't believe it. My boy finally got himself a girlfriend and a pretty one to boot."_

"Thank you." Penny flushed feeling a little better.

"Now, of course, I got to make a visit over there to get reacquainted with you."

"Didn't expect anything different, Mrs. C- Mary."

_"I can't wait to tell Missy and all the women in my prayer circle. We've been praying for Shelly since he was small. Now, be a dear, and hand me back to my boy. I'd like to talk with him a little more, if that's all right."_

Penny smiled. "Of course. I'll see you when you come down."

_"I can't wait, Penny. You know, I've always liked you. I think you're going to be real good for Shelly."_

Tears sprang to Penny's eyes. "Thank you. That really means alot coming from you. Here's Sheldon." She handed Sheldon the phone and wiped the tears from her eyes. Settling the couch, feeling much better than she had several minutes before, she listened as Sheldon finished talking with his mom.

Sheldon placed the phone back where it belonged and took his seat next to Penny once more. "My mother will be coming up in a week or two. She says if Meemaw feels up to it, she'll come with. But no promise." He frowned.

"Is she sick?"

"No. But she is of an advanced age. Mom said if I wrote her a letter asking her to come, she may just do that." He rose to his feet. "Meemaw likes letters better than phone calls, but she does love the sound of my voice." He beamed like a young boy and Penny couldn't help but smile along with him.

"I like the sound of your voice, too, sweetie."

His cheeks flushed a little red. "Thank you, Penny." The blush deepened when Penny stood and kissed him on the lips. It took him a little, but soon, he was returning it. Just as Leonard made another appearance. He took one look at the couple and acted as if he had seen something terrible. He covered his face with his hands.

"My eyes!" He cried and stumbled back.

Penny went back down on her feet and glared at him. "No one asked you to come out of your room!"

However, when Leonard removed his hands, he was smiling. "I was just messing with you guys. Though, I'd rather not be witness to you two kissing...but I can deal with it." He was really making an effort to be okay with their new relationship and Penny was proud of him.

Sheldon made his way to his desk and started to pull out some paper. "I'm going to write a note to Meemaw. Penny, you are free to keep me company." He gave her a shy smile.

"I'd love to, but I need to go over some pages of the script for tomorrow. It's my first day of rehearsals." She beamed.

"You got a part?" Leonard asked.

"Yep. I got the call while in Paris. I'm playing a woman named Jenny from Kansas. She's the lead. This could be the big break I've been dying to get." All worries of Sheldon's family knowing about them flew out the window and Penny started to feel giddy, as if she had just gotten the call telling her she had the part.

"I'm proud of you," Leonard said sincerely.

"As am I."

"Thank you, guys," Penny blushed. "All right. I'm going to leave. Maybe later, you can help me run some lines, Sheldon?"

"Of course."

"Great! See you in a bit. Bye Leonard." And she sashayed from the room.

"If you were any other guy, Sheldon, I would think she was inviting you over to get laid." Leonard smiled at his friend and plopped in his chair.

Sheldon glared at him from his seat and then, bent to work on his letter to his precious Meemaw.


	34. Chapter Thirty-Four

**Here's another extremely short chapter for you but I wanted to get something out for you all. School is officially over and now I will have more time to write! :)**

**And to all of you who are mothers, Happy Mother's Day! :)**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

Penny read the script until the lines began to blur and her eyes closed in fatigue. It had been a long few days and lying in bed, going over lines, probably wasn't the smartest thing to do. She set the script to the side and curled more into her bed,deciding that she needed a nap. Texting Sheldon before her eyes closed for good, she asked him to come over for dinner and he had replied that he would.

Penny smiled before succumbing to sleep. Her dreams were filled with stage lights and a handsome man sitting front row with stunning blue eyes.

An hour later, her alarm went off. She forced herself not to hit the snooze button and threw on some presentable clothes. A quick drive to the store was needed. Her fridge was still empty from before she had left for Europe. She returned a half hour later, arms laden down with groceries.

She decided she would make spaghetti with hotdogs cut up, knowing that it was Sheldon's favorite. She had even bought a bottle of wine, though she knew Sheldon probably wouldn't take a glass of it.

When Sheldon finally arrived, he gave Penny a bright smile and a kiss. "The letter to Meemaw has been written and sent," he said. "I should hear from her in a few days." Penny could tell that he was excited to hear from his grandmother and she found it adorable.

"That's great! Now, would you like to have a seat? I made your favorite." She had actually put a tablecloth on her small table and set a candle in the middle to make it more romantic. It didn't matter that both of them were in casual clothes. It still set the mood, much like their dinner in Paris had.

After eating and enjoying a nice conversation, they cleared off the table and washed the dishes. "Would you like to run some lines, Penny?"

Penny had almost completely forgotten she had asked Sheldon to do that with her. "Sure! Let me go grab the script and you can look it over while I clean the stove." She tried her hands on a towel and went to her room to retrieve the script still on her bed.

"Here you go," she said and handed it to Sheldon. He took it and sat down on the couch to read it while Penny went to wet a sponge for the stove.

"Hmm," he said after a while. "This story isn't very happy, Penny." He flipped to the last page and his eyes grew wide. "And your character dies at the end from a overdose."

Penny shrugged. "I know. But it's just a character that I'll be playing. Plus, she does get her man...at least for a little bit." She watched as Sheldon flipped back several pages.

"She does. But Carlton leaves her because of the drugs." He set the script down on the coffee table, looking upset. "I don't know if I'm going to enjoy watching you in this play, Penny. Fictional or not, it's still going to be hard to watch you 'die' on stage."

"But you'll be there?" She asked, hopefully.

"Of course! A boyfriend supports his girlfriend, does he not?" A small wrinkle formed in the middle of his eyebrows as he looked over at Penny. "Especially when he is extremely proud of her."

It took everything in Penny to not pounce on Sheldon right then and smother him with kisses. Instead, she took a seat next to him and tilted his head, so she could kiss him properly. He eagerly returned it, getting much better at kissing.

"Thank you, Sheldon," she said and pulled away. "For everything."

"Penny, you were there for me when I was still...dealing with things from the Arctic. I know that I can be difficult, sometimes-"

"Only sometimes?" Penny interrupted with a wink.

Sheldon rolled his eyes and continued, not minding the interruption. "Like I was saying, though I can be difficult, you were always there for me and for that, I was glad." He reached for her hand and squeezed. "I am glad that you accompanied me to Europe. At first, I wanted you to go so that I could repay for you for everything you've done for me, but then I found that I quite enjoyed your company. A lot. As you can see." He indicated to their clasped hands.

"Why are you so sweet?"

"My Meemaw taught me well."

* * *

"Ah, Penny. It is so nice to see you, again." Ashley Roche was the first to greet her when she came to the theater for rehearsals. Unable to sleep well the night before because of excitement, Penny had gotten up early and had arrived an hour before she was asked. No one else had been there except for the directors and Ashley.

"It's nice to see you, too." She shook the other woman's hand. "I'm sorry I'm here so early. I was a little excited to start."

"Oh, no need to apologize. In fact, if you come with me, we can go over those changes I told you about on the phone."

"Great!"

Penny followed Ashley through a few short hallways and they finally came to a door that led into a small office. Ashley to the seat in front of the desk and motioned for Penny to take the one across from her, which she did with smile.

"Now, have you taken a look at the script, yet?"

"Yes. Actually, I started to memorize some parts...which probably wasn't a good idea, since there's changes."

"We're not changing much except the ending." Ashley rummaged in her desk and produced a stack of papers. "We decided that too many plays nowadays seem to have tragic endings, so we decided to not kill off Jenny. Instead, she gets the help she needs, gets clean, lands her first role on Broadway, a small part though and gets her man."

"Carlton?" Penny asked, hopefully. After reading the script, she had come to like the man that Jenny would fall in love with and thought they she deserved him.

"Of course. There is no other man for her. So, how does that sound?"

"Perfect. My boyfriend was worried about seeing me die on stage and now, he won't have to."

"Well he'll be happy to see you perform." Ashley smiled. "Jenny is going to get redemption. She's going to prove that girls from a small town with big dreams can achieve those dreams and overcame almost nearly impossible obstacles."

Penny felt as if the other was speaking to her and not about Jenny and it made her even more excited to play the part. Being on that stage in front of hundreds would validate her leaving home early in search of stardom. Of course, she was nowhere near being an A-list actress...yet, but this was a step in the right direction.

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	35. Chapter Thirty-Five

**Chapter Thirty-Five**

The next few weeks went by in a blur. In between rehearsals and her shifts at the Cheesecake Factory (yes, she still had to work there), she barely had time to see Sheldon. Surprisingly, he understood and had even been busy himself at work. When Dr. Mueller reported back to the University about the success of Sheldon's lectures at the school, Dr. Gablehouser started looking at him in a new light. The Arctic Incident was almost all but forgotten. There were even talks of Sheldon make a annual trips to the University in Germany and maybe some other ones in Europe. Of course, Sheldon told them he do it on one condition: if Penny was allowed to come with.

That had brought tears to Penny's eyes when Sheldon had told her one night as they sat on the couch watching a movie. It meant that Sheldon was in this relationship for the long haul.

"I talked to my mother recently," he said that same night. "She wanted to visit right away, but when I told her of the play you are starring in, she wished to come down to see it. So, I'll need two more tickets for opening night."

"I'll get them for you. I hope they like the play," she leaned her head on his shoulder and smiled up at him. "Oh, and speaking of the play, I forgot to tell you. I won't die at the end. In fact, Jenny gets her happily ever after with Carlton!"

"That is great!" Sheldon smiled, a real non-creepy smile. "I know Meemaw would have been just as upset to watch you die on stage as I would have." With every thing Sheldon told Penny about his Meemaw, she started to like the woman more and they hadn't even met, yet. She was taking that as a good sign.

Now, it was only two days before opening night and Penny had never been more nervous. Rehearsals had gone extremely well. She and the actor who played Carlton got along and if Penny squinted, he seemed to look a little like Sheldon, making it easier to imagine him when they had scenes together.

Penny was lounging on her couch after a morning rehearsal and debating on whether she should go through her lines one more time or just lay there until it was time to go to bed. However, the decision was made for her when someone knocked on her door. Opening it, she was surprised to see Sheldon standing there. He hadn't done his signature knock.

"Good afternoon, Penny," he requested. "Will you be busy at six this evening?"

"Hm. Nope," she answered.

"Good. I request time in your presence in the form of dinner."

Penny surpassed a giggle at Sheldon's words. "And of course, you'll have it. What kind of dinner?"

"Formal. I plan on taking you somewhere nice. But the location is a surprise." He allowed himself a smile.

"Oooh. I can't wait. I'll be ready by 5:30." She went on tiptoes and pecked his lips, "Which means I should start getting ready now. I'll see you in a few hours, Sheldon." She closed the door behind her, reenergized and excited for the evening.

* * *

A few hours later, Penny was dressed in a simple red dress and her hair fell in loose curls down her back. This would be their first date in the United States. She knew it would have come sooner if their schedules had not been so hectic the past couple weeks.

She had just applied a layer of red lipstick to her lips when someone knocked on the door. Knowing it was Sheldon (since he used his normal knocking routine), she checked her appearance once more in the floor length mirror by her closest before she went to the door.

Sheldon stood in a sharp looking suit and Penny had never seen him look more handsome. When he saw her, he seemed to be speechless and it made Penny feel good about herself. It wasn't enough when Sheldon was speechless.

"G-Good evening, Penny," he finally said. "Are you ready?"

"Let me grab my purse and I will be." She grabbed her purse from the couch and took Sheldon's offered arm. Together, they walked down the stairs. Penny couldn't help but feel like some A-list actress going to a movie premiere or awards show with a handsome man at her side. Maybe this was all practice for when it finally happened to her. She could only hope.

"So, where are we going?" As they stepped down onto the main floor.

"It's a surprise," he smiled.

Outside, a shiny black car was waiting for them. A window rolled down and Leonard waved to them, he was also dressed in a suit. "Hey, guys."

"Is Leonard coming with?" Penny leaned close and asked, slightly disappointed that it wasn't going to be just them.

"No. He is driving us there. I was going to hire a driver along with the rented car, but he offered."

"Wow. Why are you going all out?"

"Well, opening night is in a few days and I know you'll be busy. My wish was to have this date closer to opening night, but it wasn't to be."

"It's okay! I don't care when we go on a date as long as it's with you." She kissed him on the cheek.

Sheldon smiled again and moved to open the back door for her. Penny slid in and waited for Sheldon to join her on the other side. Once he did, she put on her seat belt and sat as close to him as the belt would allow.

Leonard seemed to know where to go because he pulled out onto the street without Sheldon giving him any directions. Penny tried to see if she could guess where they were going by the streets they turned down, but gave up when she realized they could be going to any number of restaurants in the city.

Finally, when the car stopped at their destination, Penny couldn't wait to get out to see where Sheldon had taken her, but she waited until Sheldon got out of the car to open her door, first.

"Marjellchen," Penny read. "It's...it's a German restaurant!" She turned and threw her arms around him. He did all of this to remind them of their time in Germany and knew how much Penny missed it.

"Yes," Sheldon said, slightly surprised to have his arms full of Penny, but didn't protest. "They have a restaurant with the same name in Berlin. I doubt the food will be as good here, but I knew that you would still like it."

"I love it!" She hadn't even tried the food, yet and she had already fallen in love. Tears sprang to her eyes and she didn't bother to wipe them away. They were happy tears and she considered herself lucky to be with a man like Sheldon. "Come on, let's go inside." She grabbed his hand and together, they walked into the dimly lit restaurant.

Sheldon had made reservations under his name and soon they were seated. Thankfully, the menus were not all in German and Penny didn't need her dictionary to translate. "We can order of a bottle of wine...to share," Sheldon offered.

"Don't you mean beer?" Penny winked, letting him know she was only joking. "We don't have to. You don't like alcohol."

"I could give it a try. For you. And I thought all romantic evenings needed a bottle of wine."

"Not all of them, Sheldon. But if you would like to try we can get one for the both of us."

"How about the three of us?" A familiar voice spoke behind Penny. Instantly, she threw the menu down and squealed as she launched herself at Doctor Dominic Mueller. "Good evening, Fraulein Penny." He hugged her close and kissed her forehead.

"I can't believe you're here!"

"Sheldon told me about your play during a phone conversation and I figured I was due for a vacation." He took a seat at the table. "I hope it is all right that I am here during your date. I wished to surprise you before your big night."

"Not at all," Penny reassured. Though, she had been excited to spend a romantic evening with Sheldon at such a nice place, she didn't mind that Dr. Mueller was here, as well. She and Sheldon would have many nights in the future to go on romantic dates. "So, how long are you here for?"

"Two weeks. One week for vacation and the other week, I have some things to do at CalTech."

"That's great!" Penny exclaimed, happy that she would be seeing more of her dear friend.

"I'm glad you think so." He picked up a menu. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see what they offer here. I doubt it'll be as good as home, but I am very hungry, so anything will do."

* * *

The dinner seemed to fly by, much to Penny's dismay. It was almost like being back in Germany with Sheldon and Dr. Mueller as they ate German food and talked. She was glad that the older man seemed to care enough about her to come see her first big play and to think, the first time they had met, she been playing a part. A part which had soon become the real thing. Penny mooning over Sheldon, who didn't seem to notice her affections.

"I had a wonderful evening," Dr. Mueller said as they stood outside of the restaurant an hour later. In his hands, he held hers and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "I can not wait to see you perform."

"I just hope I don't make a fool of myself." Her cheeks flushed at the words. In the hecticness of the past few weeks, Penny hadn't allowed herself to think such negative things. But as opening night continued to grow closer and the more people she knew coming to see her, she started to doubt a little in her abilities.

"You will do splendidly, Penny," Sheldon stepped in. "I would have never spoken so highly about you if I didn't know it to be true." Penny knew he was telling the truth. Sheldon had a hard time not telling the truth and only said things he meant (which sometimes got him in trouble).

"Thank you, sweetie." She smiled at him.

Dr. Mueller looked between the two with a fond smile before turning to shake Sheldon's hand. "I better be off," he said. "I don't want to intrude anymore on your date night than you already have."

"You didn't intrude at all." Penny gave him a fierce hug. "I can't wait to see you again in a few days."

"And I can't wait to see the moment everyone realizes you're a star, Penny dear."

How many times tonight would tears prick her eyes? Without being able to contain herself, she threw her arms around the doctor once more. How had she gotten so lucky to have such wonderful people in her life?

Fifteen minutes later, Penny and Sheldon watched Dr. Mueller drive off in his rental car, waving as he did so. "When will Leonard get here?" Penny asked, trying not to let her disappointment show that their night would soon be over.

"I have told him not to pick us up for another hour," Sheldon responded. "I was thinking, since it is such a nice evening, that we could take a walk. This part of town is safe and the sidewalks brightly lit, so there is nothing to fear. I was also thinking that we could grab some dessert, too. How does ice cream sound?"

"Great!" Anything would have sounded good as long as the evening didn't have to end. It was already shaping up to be one of the best nights of her life (the ones spent in Europe with Sheldon were still high up on the list, though).

Together, they walked down the brightly lit sidewalks of Pasadena. Sheldon even allowed Penny to hold his hand. She didn't think the night could get any better.

When, they unfortunately, made it home an hour later with hands slightly sticky from their ice cream. Sheldon walked Penny to her door and Leonard quickly slipped behind his, allowing them some privacy.

Penny wrapped her arms around Sheldon and squeezed. "Thank you for surprising me with a nice dinner and Dr. Mueller, Sheldon. I really missed him."

"And he missed you, too. You must have made quite an impression on him while in Germany."

Penny stepped from him. "I hope it was a good one."

He tilted her chin up. "Of course it was, Penny. You always leave good impressions. Remember when we first met?"

She remembered vividly. That first day, when Sheldon had shown her his whiteboard, it had almost been like he had been flirting. Of course it hadn't taken long for Penny to discover how weird he was, but over the next few years she had come to like his quirkiness. "Yes," she finally answered and smiled.

Sheldon didn't say anything more and leaned down to kiss her fully on the mouth. Making it a perfect way to end a perfect day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name of the restaurant is a real restaurant in Germany. I'm not creative enough to think of a name on my own lol
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	36. Chapter Thirty-Six

**The scene of the play was completely written by me (well, the idea for the play was mine, too) so I hope they are not too corny. Otherwise I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I really liked writing it!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Six**

It was opening night and Penny was a bundle of nerves. All morning, she went over her lines and prayed that she didn't mess up. This was her big chance and she couldn't allow anything to go wrong. Especially with Sheldon's mom and Meemaw in the audience. Penny needed to prove to them that she was perfect for their son.

"Penny, are you ready?" Leonard stood in her open doorway. He had offered to drop her off at the theatre on his way to take Sheldon to the airport to pick up his mom and grandmother.

"Uh, yeah. As ready as I'll ever be, I guess."

She looked around her small apartment, hoping she didn't forget anything and followed Leonard out of her apartment. Sheldon was just leaving his, apartment messenger bag over his shoulder and locked the door. When he turned and saw Penny, he smiled.

"Good afternoon, Penny," he greeted and kissed her on the cheek. Leonard, still not wholly accustomed to seeing his best friend give out affection like that. widened his eyes. But didn't say anything.

"Afternoon, Sheldon. Are you excited to see your Meemaw again?"

If anything his smile grew wider. "Of course. I have not seen her in a few years and I've missed her dearly. I can't wait until she meets you, Penny." Penny felt her face grow red and tried not to let her nerves show to her happy boyfriend.

"I can't wait to meet her, either. Especially since I've heard so much about her."

"Uh, I hate to break this up. But we have a plane to wait for and Penny, you have last minute rehearsals to get to." Leonard, the voice of reason at that moment, spoke up.

"Oh, yeah. Let's go."

The trio walked down the four flights of stairs and out to Leonard's car. Sheldon offered Penny the front seat, which she declined, knowing how much he liked sitting in it. Plus, he had given up the front seat when they had gotten back from Europe.

Penny didn't even pay attention on the ride to the theatre, instead she went over her lines some more. Thankfully, the boys were engrossed in a talk about some Star Trek movie or whatever. When the theatre came into view, her heart beat faster. In only a few short hours, it would be lit up and people would be coming to see her.

"Oh, God," she whispered.

However, Sheldon's Vulcan hearing heard and he turned in his seat. "You'll be fine, Penny. Hookum or night, I believe in you."

"Thanks, sweetie." She placed a hand on his shoulder.

Climbing out of the car, she gave Leonard a quick kiss on the cheek and then went to Sheldon to get a proper kiss, which he happily gave. "I'll see you all in a bit. If I can, I'll try to find you before the show. If not, I'll be looking for when I'm on the stage."

"I cannot wait to see you up there, Penny."

"Yeah, break a leg!" Leonard called from inside the car.

"Thank you!" Penny stepped on the curb and waved as they drove off. Taking a deep breath, she walked inside the theatre.

* * *

"Ten minutes to curtain call!" Was echoed throughout backstage and Penny jumped from her reverie. Moments before, she had snuck up to the stage to sneak through the curtains. She spotted the guys, Meemaw, Mrs. Cooper and Sheldon sitting in the middle of the audience. Sheldon had been sitting between his mother and grandmother. When he saw her, he gave her a shy wave, which drew the attention of Meemaw, who positively beamed when she saw Penny.

Penny smiled widely back and ducked behind the curtain. That had to be a good sign, right? No longer was her stomach in so many knots and she took a deep breath.

Now, ten minutes later, Penny was ready to perform and this was going to be her best performance, yet!

**Two Hours Later**

"Carlton, wait! Please, wait!" A distraught looking Penny- _Jenny_ \- was pushing past people on a set made to look like the busy sidewalks of New York.

A young man, tall and slim dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a blue shirt stopped. He looked weary as he looked at the woman who stopped in front of him. "What do you want, Jenny?" His voice sounded tired and sad. "You made your choice."

"I know I did!" Jenny was on the verge of tears. "But I need help. Serious help."

"Where have I heard that before?" Carlton moved to walk away, but Jenny grabbed his arm. Desperation written all over her face.

"Please," she begged. "I'm serious this time. Take me there, now. I won't go another day without it."

For a moment, Carlton looked down at the woman in disbelief, wondering if what she was saying was true. "Are you sure this time?"

"Yes."

"Then, come on."

Carlton grabbed Jenny's hand. They walked down the 'sidewalk' a ways before opening a door and walking through. The set changed to one that almost looked like a doctor's office. Another woman was sitting behind a desk and when she saw the pair, she smiled. "May I help you?"

Carlton stepped forward. "Yes, I wou-"

Jenny stepped in front of him. "I would like to check myself into rehabilitation. My addiction has cost me the man I love and I need to quit."

Carlton stepped beside her and grabbed her hand. "It _almost_ cost you the man you loved." Jenny looked up at him and smiled through her tears.

The curtain fell and there was a rush to change scenes. A man walked in front of the audience and held up a sign that said 'Six Months Later.' The curtain opened, revealing a stage where Jenny was playing a role in a Broadway play. Not a large role. But it was a role.

As she bowed to her fake audience, she ran off 'stage' and into Carlton's arms, who then got down on one knee and opened a black box. "Jenny Hixon, you have overcome so much these past six months and I have found myself falling even more in love with you by the day. Will you be my wife?"

"Yes!" She cried and threw herself into his arms once more.

This time when the curtain fell, it was to signal the end of the play. Everyone in the audience stood to their feet to clap and cheer for the performance. All the actors and actresses walked out on the stage, hands clasped as they bowed to their audience. The whistles and screams didn't stop until several minutes _after_ they left the stage.

* * *

"You were amazing, Penny!" Leonard exclaimed when she came out to meet the group. Behind him, Raj nodded his head frantically in agreement. With Meemaw and Mrs. Cooper in attendance, he couldn't speak.

"Oh, honey!" A small, white haired lady threw her arms around Penny, shocking her. "Your performance tonight brought me to tears. Several times."

"Thank you." Penny beamed.

Sheldon stepped forward, smiling. "Penny, this is Meemaw and Meemaw this is Penny, my girlfriend."

Meemaw grabbed Penny in another hug. "I am so glad to finally meet you, child. Moonpie has said told me so many good things about you." She pulled away from Penny and looked up. "You are going to be an amazing actress someday. I just know it."

"And when she knows something, honey, it usually happens," Mrs. Cooper stepped forward to give him a hug. "When Shelly was a baby, my mother told me he was going to be a rocket scientist."

" _Physicist_ ," both Meemaw and Sheldon said at the same time.

Mary rolled her eyes. "Whatever. What I'm telling you, Penny, is that you better listen to Meemaw. Sometimes, I really do think she can tell the future." Penny looked at the smaller woman at Sheldon's side and smiled when she winked.

* * *

An hour later, the three Coopers and Penny sat around a table at a nice restaurant close to the apartment. Leonard had dropped them off and promised to get them when Sheldon texted him.

Penny didn't know if it was because opening night had gone so well, but she no longer felt nervous in front of Mrs. Cooper and Meemaw. In fact, she talked to easily with the later that it almost felt as if Meemaw was _her_ grandmother.

When it was time to leave and Penny smashed herself in the backseat with Sheldon and Mrs. Cooper, tears sprang to her eyes at how perfect the night had been. Everything was made even better when Sheldon leaned close and whispered in her ear.

"I didn't get the chance to tell you, Penny, but you were spectacular on stage and I'm so proud of you."

Penny nearly burst into tears right then.

* * *

"Sheldon!" The next morning, Penny burst into 4A without knocking and saw her boyfriend sitting, still in his pajamas, eating cereal. He looked up in alarm at her sudden presence.

"I'm sorry for disrupting your Saturday morning ritual, but I need you to do something for me."

Instead of protesting, Sheldon turned off the TV, placed his now empty bowl on the table in front of him and gave Penny his full attention. "What is it, Penny?"

She shoved a newspaper in her eyes and screwed her eyes shut. "Read me the reviews for my play. Please! I didn't want to do it alone and then, I didn't want to read them, so I came here."

"Of course I'll read them for you." Sheldon took the paper from her hands. She took the seat next to him and nearly plastered herself to his side. He didn't seem to mind and she stayed put.

"Start with this one." Penny pointed to the largest paragraph. She knew it had to be full of good things...or bad ones.

"All right." Sheldon cleared his throat. "' _One has certain expectations of a performance while sitting in a little known theatre watching an original piece by an almost unknown writer. However, those expectations were blown out of the water within the first scenes. The performances by the actors were what made this play, while the writing and sets helped quite a bit. The two leads, Penny Dixon as Jenny Hixon (Coincidence or was this part made for this young woman?) and Timothy Lassiter as Carlton shined. The chemistry was sizzling between the two and Penny endured you to the plight of young Jenny, who just wants a chance on Broadway and a man to love her for herself. The ending could have very well gone down a dark and depressing path, but the writers give both these characters a happy ending. Letting those that watched able to leave the theatre happy and hopeful. If you have nothing to do, even if you do have something to do, go and see this play. You will_ not _be disappointed. I surely wasn't.'_ "

"Oh my God!" Penny launched herself from the couch with tears in her eyes. "That was said about me! I can't believe it, Sheldon, and it's by a well-known critic, too!" Things seemed to finally be looking up for her.

Sheldon quickly scanned the other reviews on the page and they were just as glowing in their praise. He held out the paper to her. "I think it's safe to read the rest, Penny." She took the paper with shaky hands and burst into tears when she finished reading the reviews.

Sheldon stood and pulled her into a hug. "You were amazing, Penny. You deserved those reviews."

"That means a lot, Sheldon." Her voice was slightly muffled in his chest. "Especially coming from you."

That was the scene Meemaw and Mrs. Cooper walked in on. They had been staying at a hotel and hailed a cab to Sheldon's apartment. They saw Penny's tears and immediately surrounded her, asking what was wrong. When Penny showed them the reviews, they all squealed like little girls.

"We have to go out and celebrate, dear," Meemaw said and grabbed Penny's hand to start pulling her towards the door. "Just think, my future granddaughter-in-law is going to be a famous actress!" They disappeared into the hallway.

Mrs. Cooper looked at her son and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do I need to remind you of another thing Meemaw is never wrong about?"

Sheldon, who was in a slight daze, answered, "No."


	37. Chapter Thirty-Seven

**Chapter Thirty-Seven**

The four of them went out for a celebratory lunch paid for by Meemaw. It would have been a dinner, but Penny had another show that night and needed to be at the theater in a few short hours. While she was there, Sheldon would spend some time with his Meemaw and mother since they would be leaving the next day.

Sheldon sat uncharacteristically silent as he watched Penny talk with Meemaw. There was adoration in his Meemaw's eyes and it looked as if Penny had already fallen in love with the woman as well. Meemaw had that effect on people.

Mrs. Cooper watched her son as Sheldon watched the interaction between her mother and Penny. She knew that the cogs in his brain were working overtime, but not on a scientific equation. Unless Penny was considered science.

 _Lord_ , she prayed in her head. _Thank you for sending Shelly a woman that loves him for him. Now, all I need is for him to pop the question so I can have grandbabies already. No rush, though. Amen._

* * *

After lunch, Penny was getting ready in her apartment for the theater. This time would drive herself, but she didn't mind. This way she could recite her lines aloud and not have anyone look at her oddly. Just as she was putting on the finishing touches of makeup on in the bathroom, her cellphone rang from where she had thrown it on her bed when she got home. Checking her appearance once more in the mirror, she walked into her room and answered it. "Hello."

"Good afternoon, Penny dear!"

Penny smiled so widely at the sound of the voice her face hurt. "Dr. Mueller! How are you?"

"Oh, come now, Penny. It's Dominik. I just wanted to apologize."

"Apologize?" She frowned. "Apologize for what?" The man had always been kind to her, she didn't think he ever had to apologize to _anyone_. Let alone her.

"I was not there to see you on your opening night. Something came up back home and I was on the phone for hours." He sighed. "I can't be gone a week without something happening that only I can fix, it seems."

"It's okay that you missed opening night Dr. M- Dominik." Truthfully, and with guilt, she hadn't even noticed that he wasn't there. Most of her attention had been on Sheldon and Meemaw and Mrs. Cooper.

"I'll be there tonight, Penny. I am excited to see this play that so many have raved about. Of course, I knew that everyone would love it."

Penny blushed at the compliment. "Thank you." She glanced at the clock by her bedside and gasped. "I'm sorry, Dominik. But if I don't leave now, I'll be late to the theater."

"We can't have that, can we?" The man chuckled on the other end. "I will see you later. Break a leg."

"Thank you," she said again. "I look forward to seeing you tonight. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Penny hung up the phone and flew around her room, gathering all the things she needed and then, some. One never knew when certain things would be needed. She ran out of her apartment and rushed down the stairs, praying that she wouldn't fall and actually break a leg.

* * *

If it was possible, the second night of the performance went even better than the first. Everyone had lost their jitters and nerves and the positive reviews in the newspaper had boosted their confidence. Before the show started, Penny had spotted Dr. Mueller in the crowd and waved. He was sitting in almost the same spot Sheldon had been sitting and would be easy to spot when she was on stage.

Penny acted her heart out on stage, loving the role of Jenny and loving the play. it had been a long time since she had felt this good about acting. If this would be her only gig, then she would be happy.

After another standing ovation from the crowd, Penny slipped away from her fellow actors and found Dr. Mueller to give him a hug. "Thank you for coming," she said and hugged him tightly again. She hadn't know this man long, but he had quickly became a very important part of her life.

"You were amazing, Penny dear. I knew you would be good, but that performance was phenomenal! You deserve a Tony!"

Penny blushed. "Thank you. I would need to be on Broadway to get that, though."

"Well, you are certainly good enough, my dear," he said with sincerity. "I am half-tempted to come to tomorrow's showing, as well. However, that would mean missing my flight home."

"Leaving already?" Penny asked, sadly. She wasn't ready to see him go so soon. Though, when she had left Germany with Sheldon she had thought she wouldn't be seeing Dr. Mueller for a long time.

"Unfortunately, yes. I must get back to the University." He looked just as upset about returning, too. "Summer vacation will be coming in a few months, so I may just have to come back by then. Maybe you'll be in another play or," he leaned close and whispered, "A movie."

That would have been Penny's dream.

"Maybe," she said and smiled before grabbing him in another hug. "I'm going to miss you so much, Dominik!"

* * *

It was late when Penny made it back to the apartment. This time, she took more time on the stairs. Not for the first time, she wished the elevator wasn't broken. She was exhausted. When she reached the fourth landing and looked to Sheldon and Leonard's door and wished that Sheldon was awake so she could tell him goodnight in person. But it was past his bedtime.

However, when she opened the door to her apartment, she was shocked to see a pajama-clad Sheldon curled up on her tiny couch. At the sound of her door opening, he opened his eyes. They were wide until they landed on her, then he smiled.

"Hello, Penny," he greeted.

"Hi, Sheldon." She set her bag down and went to sit with him on the couch. "Why aren't you in bed? It's late."

"I know, but I wished to know how your performance went and wish you a proper goodnight."

Could this man be any sweeter? "Honestly, I think this performance was better than the first and Dr. Mueller was there to see it! He leaves tomorrow, though."

"Just like my mother and Meemaw." They wore matching sad faces.

"I'm going to miss them." She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Me, too. They won't be leaving until the afternoon, but Meemaw wants to spend the morning with me."

"What are you two going to do?"

"I don't know." If Penny had been looking up at him, she would have seen the way his face twitched and knew he was lying. Lucky for him, her eyes had drifted closed. Sheldon didn't want to disturb her, so he leaned back against the couch and didn't jostle Penny too much.

"Sleep with me, Sheldon," her sleepy voice said a few minutes later.

"What?"

Penny laughed. "Just sleep." She opened her eyes. "Please. You're already here and in your pajamas."

It took him a little bit to think it over. Penny's bed was not his bed. But if he slept in Penny's bed, she wouldn't be far and he enjoyed having her so close. Maybe he would enjoy sleeping with her in his arms, too. "Okay. But if you snore, I may have to leave," he teased.

Penny hopped to her feet and tugged him along, looking extremely happy. "I won't!" She went up on her toes and kissed him. When she moved away, he grabbed her back and initiated another kiss.

* * *

**What will Sheldon and Meemaw be doing in the morning? Hmm...**


	38. Chapter Thirty-Eight

**I apologize for this being short and feeling a little rushed. I think this story is quickly winding down. *sniff***

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Eight**

It had taken Penny a while to fall asleep that night. Not because she was uncomfortable or tired (in fact, she was exhausted) but because of who was in her bed. She couldn't believe Sheldon had agreed to sleep over. It had shocked and pleasantly surprised her.

Now, he was lying on his back on the right side of the bed with his eyes closed in sleep. "Penny, will you quit staring at me and go to bed." Or so she had thought. With a giggle and a sorry, Penny laid down and stared at the ceiling. Still she was unable to sleep, but at least she wasn't watching Sheldon, anymore.

However, before she knew it, she was blinking awake the next morning to movement underneath her. Looking down, all she saw was plaid. Soft plaid. The plaid of pajamas. Glancing up, she saw that Sheldon was looking at her with an unreadable expression. She sat up. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sheldon," she said. "I meant to stay on my side all night."

"It's quite all right, Penny. I found myself enjoying having you so near." He sat up and glanced at the pink clock on her side of the bed. "But I am afraid I should be going. Meemaw will be here in an hour to pick me up and I need to get ready." He climbed from the bed and stretched. Penny did the same.

"I can cook breakfast for you in your apartment while you get ready. Unless you're getting something with your Meemaw."

"That would be fine. She and my mother had planned on getting some breakfast together. So, if you don't mind making something, Penny, I'll be grateful."

"Great! Give me a few minutes to change and I'll be over!" She went on her toes and kissed him on the cheek, not wanting to kiss him until she had brushed her teeth.

"I'll see you, then." With one last smile, he left her room and her apartment.

Penny didn't start to get dressed right away. Instead, she flopped back on her bed. _I can't believe I had a man in my bed and we didn't have sex_. It felt good to just be held and not expected to do anything more. Why couldn't Sheldon have been her first boyfriend? There would have been no more after him.

_I love him..._

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, she was in Sheldon and Leonard's kitchen whipping up a batch of waffles, which was one of the few things she knew how to make without destroying anything. Leonard had shuffled in and sat on the couch when he heard noises coming from the kitchen. "How many waffles do you want, Leonard?" She called over her shoulder at the half-asleep man.

"Uh...two?"

"All right, two waffles coming up!" Sheldon was still in the shower, so she decided she'd feed Leonard first since he was there.

After pouring batter in the waffle pan and waiting a few minutes, she dumped the finished waffles on a plate and slid it on the counter. Leonard was already there with syrup and a fork. "I started the coffee machine," he said before taking a bite. "I know how much you need it."

Truthfully, she didn't _need_ it. She was more awake than she had ever felt in the morning. But she loved coffee, so she _wanted_ it. "Thank you!" She chirped and went back to making more batter. Sheldon would be out soon.

"You seem awfully happy for it being this early," Leonard observed from over his waffles. "If I didn't know Sheldon, I would have thought that you got-"

"Laid last night," Penny finished. "No, I didn't. But Sheldon stayed the night and I got the best sleep of my life." She wasn't angry at what Leonard had applied because this time, there wasn't an underlying layer of disappointment and judgement. He was teasing her, like a friend.

"So, he wasn't sleeping like a vampire?"

"Not really. And he even let me curl up to him." She hummed happily as she placed more batter in the pan. Behind her, she could hear Leonard sputtering.

"Really?" He asked and wiped his mouth.

"Yep. I was just as surprised as you. I woke up this morning wrapped around him and he didn't even tell me off for invading his space as he slept."

"He must really love you, then." The mood went from teasing to extremely serious. Penny turned to face Leonard, who was watching her.

"Do you really think so?"

"I've never seen him act this way around anyone else and it's clear that he cares for you. Very much. So, yes, I really do think Sheldon loves you."

Tears shimmered in Penny's eyes. Happy tears. "Leonard, I love him, too."

Unbeknownst to them, Sheldon had finished his shower and was about to step from his bedroom, fully dressed, when he heard the conversation between his friend and girlfriend. He didn't even think winning a Nobel would make him this happy.

* * *

After finishing his breakfast, Leonard shuffled to the bathroom to take a shower. Howard and Raj would be over in a few minutes to decide what they would do for the day. Sheldon and Penny were still sitting at the counter, eating.

"Do you like them?" Penny asked, after finishing her first waffle and poured syrup on her second.

"If I didn't, Penny, I would not be eating it."

"True." She nudged him in the side. "Well, I'm glad. I can make them for you, again. You know, when you don't have an already scheduled breakfast day."

"Sounds good to me. But you must allow me to return the favor." He looked at her and smiled. "it is only fair, right?"

"Yes, that would be nice." Penny couldn't wait for the day where she would wake up to the smell of breakfast being cooked in her kitchen. Her mouth almost started watering, even though she still had food to eat on her plate.

When they were finished, Sheldon took their empty plates and put them in the sink. "I'll wash, since you cooked."

"I'll dry!" She grabbed a towel and stood next to Sheldon, beaming. For some reason, she just felt so _happy._

Once the last dish was dried and put away, someone knocked on the door. Sheldon smiled and wiped his hands on a towel. "That must be Meemaw. Perfect timing, as usual." He bent down and kissed Penny on the mouth before heading to the door to open it.

"You ready, Moonpie?" Meemaw asked when she opened the door. "We have a lot to do in such a short time!" She grabbed her grandson's arm and yanked him through the door, surprisingly very strong for her age and size.

"Bye, Penny, honey! I'll see you later!"

Everything had happened so fast, Penny just blinked her eyes in surprise. Sheldon and Meemaw had been there one second and now, they were gone. "Hmm," she said to herself. "I wonder what they're going to be doing."

* * *

Meemaw led Sheldon outside and to his surprise, she walked to the back of the building where the parking lot was. "I know how much you dislike riding in cabs, Moonpie," she said over her shoulder. "So, I rented a car."

They stopped beside a very clean and shiny black car. The interior of the vehicle were spotless. The car had to be brand new. "The man at the rental place assured me that I was taking this car on it's maiden drive."

"But, can you sti-?"

"Of course, I can still drive," she said with a smile. "I'm not _that_ old." She pressed a button on the keyring in her hand and the doors were unlocked.

Sheldon, ever the gentleman, opened the door for his Meemaw before walking around the car to his own seat. After putting on his seatbelt, he turned to his Meemaw. "Where will we be going?" He asked.

"To the mall," Meemaw said and started the car. "I trust you know how to get there."

"Of course. But why the mall?" Sheldon tried not to let his disappointment show. The mall was one of his least favorite places to go, with all the people and all the germs. Why did his Meemaw want to go to a place like that?

"I'm sure the mall has a few jewelery places. Right?" She glanced his way before pulling out into the street.

"Yes. Do you plan on buying yourself something?" The only pieces of jewelry Sheldon had ever seen his Meemaw wear were simple earrings, a cross necklace and her wedding ring.

"I think you know why we're going there, Moonpie."

He did. He just didn't want to think about it. Already his palms began to sweat, which made him extremely uncomfortable and wishing he had brought some wipes with him. He never got nervous! But thinking about why Meemaw was taking him to a jewelry store made his heart beat in overtime.

"Do you think I'm ready, Meemaw?" He asked, voice timid.

"I don't expect you to do anything right away, honey. You still have time to get to know her. But, yes. I think you're ready."

* * *

There were four different jewelry stores in the mall. Each had their own unique style of engagement rings. "We only have about three hours," Meemaw said once they walked into the large building. "Our plan leaves in a little over five hours and you know how long it takes to get through security and all that." She waved a hand and rolled her eyes.

"All right." That meant Sheldon only had three hours to find the perfect ring for Penny.

"Shall we start looking?"

"Yes."

Sheldon found the perfect ring in an hour and a half in the second store they visited. The band of the ring was a delicate silver and the diamond wasn't huge and gaudy. It was just right. Everything about it was just right. Penny would love it. Hopefully.

"Now, all you have to do is ask the question," Meemaw said gleefully as they walked from the store. "I am so happy for you."

"Penny and I have been together for a very short time, but we have known each other for years. She was there for me during my darkest time and I...love her. With all of that, I think I am going to wait a little while before I ask." He looked down at his grandmother. "Is that all right?"

"Of course, honey." She squeezed his arm affectionately. "I only wished to do this now because I wanted to be the one who did it with you, Moonpie."

"Thank you, Meemaw. It means a lot to me."

She beamed up at him, eyes slightly watery before she blinked them back. "And you better tell me the minute- no, the second!- you are able to after you have asked Penny or I will not be happy with you Sheldon Lee Cooper."

"Don't worry, Meemaw. You'll be the first to know, I promise."


	39. Chapter Thirty-Nine

**Chapter Thirty-Nine**

With tearful goodbyes, Penny and Sheldon dropped off Mrs. Cooper and Meemaw at the airport and waved to them until they could no longer be seen through the throng of people walking around the terminal.

Penny wrapped her arms around one of Sheldon's arms and leaned against them. "I'm going to miss them."

"Me, too."

"Maybe, next time, we can be the ones to visit." She looked at him, waiting for an answer.

"If I can survive a plane trip to Europe, then I can survive a plane to Texas." He smiled, which grew even larger when Penny kissed his cheek in her excitement.

"I've never been to Texas!" She babbled, happily. "When we came to California, we didn't drive through it on the way here. I mean, it was kind of out of our way, but still I would have liked to go through it!"

As they walked back to Penny's car, Sheldon's mind whirled. He knew a perfect reason to make a trip down to Texas. But he was going to wait a little bit for that. Like a few a months. He needed to make sure that Penny didn't get sick of him before asking. He knew that he could be a...handful at times. However, he also knew that if anyone could deal with him, it would be Penny.

Sheldon knew he would just have to make a few observations.

**Three Months Later**

Penny was staring in her third play since her first appearance as Jenny. Now, her name was becoming more familiar and people would come see the plays just because they knew she was in them. Also, in those three months, she had landed a few commercials and a small part in an episode of a popular TV show. Working at the Cheesecake factory had been cut down to one to two days a week and she could afford a better apartment, but that would mean no longer being across the hall from the guys. From Sheldon... So, she had stayed put.

Over those last few months, Sheldon had been...Sheldon. Sometimes, he irritated her to no end, but then others he became the sweetest man she had ever known. Penny would not have changed him for the world. Sure, they had their ups and downs, but didn't all couples? At least, he didn't scream at her, call her stupid or ugly or worthless and at the end of the day, one or the other would apologize.

Their relationship wasn't perfect. But whose was? Penny loved Sheldon and Sheldon loved Penny. That was all that mattered.

That Saturday afternoon, Penny decided to visit her friends and boyfriend across the hall. When she walked into the apartment (she didn't knock anymore), Sheldon was sitting in his spot, Leonard in the armchair, Howard on the cushion at the end of the couch and Raj on the floor.

"Another batch of raving reviews for our girl, Penny," Leonard said over the top of the newspaper he was reading. Penny knew about the reviews, she had read them that morning.

"There hasn't been one bad review about you, Penny," Howard said with a smile (that wasn't creepy for once). "You must be really talented." Now, there was the creepy smile.

"Of course she is, Wolowitz," Sheldon added, oblivious to the innuendo. Like always.

"Thank you, sweetie," Penny said and patted his leg as she took her seat next to him. This was _her_ spot. "So, what's the plan for today? I have a few hours to kill before I have to head out."

"At the moment. Nothing," Leonard answered and folded up the paper. "We thought you might want to relax after the last few weeks you've had."

With rehearsals and auditions, Penny had barely seen Sheldon or the other guys over the past few days and just thinking about all she had done, made her tired. "I would love to just relax with you all," she said and snuggled close to Sheldon's side, who didn't mind at all. "Maybe we could pop in a movie? Anything. I don't care."

Raj nodded enthusiastically and he and Howard went to look through Leonard and Sheldon's set of DVDs. Though Raj had talked to Penny before without drinking, he was silent now. Mostly because he hadn't seen her in a few weeks. Eventually, he would warm up to her. She hoped.

If you asked Penny what movie they had chosen, she wouldn't have been able to tell you. Though her eyes were open, her mind was far away, thinking about her life and how things had turned out for her in the past year. She wouldn't have changed a thing for the world, especially her relationship with Sheldon. If she hadn't gotten any new roles or parts in plays, she would have still been happy with her life if she was still with Sheldon. It made her sound sappy. But she didn't care.

**Seven Months Later (Sheldon and Penny's One Year Anniversary)**

At this time in her life, Penny didn't think she could have been happier. The Cheesecake Factory (and that ugly uniform) were far behind her and now, she had a recurring role on a TV show.

Things with Sheldon were going good, as well. Just a few months earlier, he had told her that he loved her and Penny returned the feeling. Most nights neither one slept alone. Sometimes, Sheldon would come over and others, she would go to his place. Things hadn't escalated to that and Penny was totally fine with it. She knew it would happen eventually and she didn't want to rush things. Especially when they were going so well.

Now, it was their one year anniversary and Sheldon was taking her to a nice restaurant. She felt absolutely giddy. Her show was doing great and they were on a break between seasons, so Penny had a lot more time to herself.

"Penny?" Sheldon's voice sounded through her closed bedroom door. Finally, he used her spare key and just himself in, now. Penny felt they were passed the point of knocking on one another's doors (though, sometimes, she missed the way Sheldon knocked).

"I'm almost ready!" She called through the door and worked on putting the finishing touches of her makeup.

"All right. But you know, you don't have to put on any makeup when we go out. I think you're beautiful without it, too."

"Too late now!" She said back with a smile. He was always saying something like that and he was always sincere about it, too. Penny really had the perfect boyfriend, even if there were times when he was a little anal. The good always outweighed the bad...by an enormous amount.

Five minutes later, she emerged in a navy blue dress that accentuated all the right places and a pair of silver heels (that she didn't have to wait to go on sale to buy). Sheldon's eyes grew wide when he saw her, like they always did. Even when she was dressed in a pair of sloppy sweats and a t-shirt. He always seemed to be in awe of her, which did wonders to her self-esteem.

"You look absolutely beautiful," he breathed.

"Even with makeup?" She quipped.

He rolled his eyes and smiled. "Even with the makeup."

Sheldon offered her his arm and she took it. Together, they walked out o f Penny's apartment and started down the stairs. "So, shall we make a bet on how many people will recognize you while we're out?" Her show was popular, but she wasn't really a main character. However, she did get recognized a lot.

"Okay." She loved doing this. "Three people."

"Oh, Penny. You don't give yourself enough credit. I say seven."

"You're on. We'll sleep in the winner's bed tonight and the loser has to make breakfast in the morning."

"I accept those terms."

When they walked outside, they went to the back of the building toward the parking lot. Sheldon had finally gotten his driving licence three months before and had his own car. He didn't really like driving and still got rides with Leonard to work. But for instances like this, he didn't mind.

As they drove, Penny laid a hand on his thigh. The first time she had done that while he was driving, they had nearly crashed, but now, Sheldon was used to the touch. There had even been a time where Penny had not put it there right away and he had grabbed her hand to place it there.

"So what are the rest of the guys doing tonight?"

"I think Leonard and Raj are at the apartment, playing video games. Howard has to have dinner with his mother, but I don't doubt he'll sneak over eventually."

"The usual, then?"

"It seems so." He glanced at her for a brief second before gluing his eyes back on the road. He took driving safely very seriously. Especially when he had Penny in the car.

They chatted comfortably until Sheldon pulled into the parking lot of a nice French restaurant. For their six month anniversary, Penny had taken them there and they had come to enjoy the food very much.

Sheldon opened the door for her and took her head as she stepped out. He was always the perfect gentleman and Penny often bragged about him to her coworkers when they were on set. Some of the ladies were totally jealous.

By the time they were seated, two people had recognized Penny- a couple that had been leaving the restaurant as they were entering. Already it wasn't looking good for Penny and her bet. Sheldon was hiding a smug smile behind his menu.

After asking for their drinks, the waiter came back a few minutes later with a bottle of wine. It was a wine that even Sheldon could tolerate and he poured their wine glasses with the goldish liquid.

"I never know what to get here," Penny said, coursing over the menu that written in both English and French. "Everything looks so good."

Sheldon rolled his eyes. "You say that every time, Penny," he said with an affectionate smile. "And you always end up picking off my plate, as well."

She pouted. "You say that as if you minded."

"I don't."

"Good." She beamed and went back to their menu.

Unbeknownst to Penny, Sheldon was becoming a nervous wreck. He was able to hide it under his confident exterior, but on the inside he was a shaking and sweaty mess. What if Penny were to refuse his proposal?He knew that she loved him, but was she ready to spend the rest of her life with him?

"Sheldon?" A cool hand touched his on the menu, which he realized he had been clutching tightly. "Everything okay?"

"Uh, yes." He placed the menu down and was surprised to see the waiter standing there with his notepad and a pencil out.

"Are you ready to order, sir?"

He was not, but he told him the first thing that came to his mind. They had been there a few times before and he knew what was good and what was not.

"Are you sure everything's all right?" Penny's eyes were slightly narrowed.

"Oh y-yes." He had gotten better at lying, but it still didn't come easily and they way Penny was looking at him after that, he knew that she didn't believe him. However, there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. He refused to spoil this surprise.

* * *

Their meal had long been cleared away over an hour later and Sheldon knew it was now or never. He slipped one hand into his pocket and took out the black box. Glancing at his lap, he sighed.

"Looks like you won," Penny grumbled when she came back from the bathroom. "Two women in the restroom recognized me and a waiter from another table did, too. That's five."

Sheldon smiled. "Looks like you'll be making me breakfast in the morning," he said. "You know how much I like your waffles."

Penny smiled in return, not annoyed anymore. "I love making them for you."

Silent overcame the table and Sheldon knew it was time.

"Uh, Penny?"

"Yes?"

In one fluid moment, Sheldon slipped from his chair and kneeled down on one knee in front of Penny. Behind them, the restaurant went silent, but he didn't pay attention to that. All of his focus was on Penny. The woman he loved with all his heart.

"Penny, will you marry me?"

Several heartbeats passed.

Then, she was flinging her arms around his neck. "Yes! Of course, I will!"


	40. Chapter 40

**This is it. This is the end. This has been 4 and a half years in the making. I can't believe it. I hope this will be worth the wait.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Forty**

Sheldon had ruined everything.

He had slipped the ring on Penny's finger, and they were back to sitting in their seats. Penny was smiling so wide, Sheldon wondered if her cheeks were sore, yet. She kept looking at him and the beautiful diamond ring on her finger. Sheldon was smiling, too, but not as sincerely. In his head, he was cursing himself (hopefully Meemaw and Jesus would forgive him).

This was not how he wanted to do this.

He had had a whole speech to give Penny before presenting the ring and asking her those five words. But his nerves had gotten the better of him. (Honestly, he couldn't believe it He was going to win the Nobel Prize one day and couldn't let _nerves_ best him ). Penny still had said yes, but she didn't know the depth of his feelings for her.

"What's wrong?"

Sheldon cursed, again. ( _Sorry, Meemaw_ ). "Nothing, Penny." He fiddled with the utensils that had been left behind and studiously avoided her gaze.

"You're lying." She started twisting the ring and bit her lip. "Do you regret asking me already?"

"No!" He exclaimed and reached out a hand to her. "And what do you mean _already_?"

She shrugged. This time she was the one to avoid his eyes. "I don't know. I just sometimes think that you'd get bored with me in the future. I'm not as smart as you, an-"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Penny. You can _never_ bore me. I'm upset because I had so much I wanted to tell you before I proposed. I wanted to let you know how much I love you, but I forgot everything when I went down on my knee." He lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry, Penny."

"Oh, Sheldon, I know you love me, and we're both being silly. I should know that you'd never get bored of me, and you should know that I don't need a bunch of pretty words to let me know how you feel." She stood and walked to his side of the table. Sheldon stood and reached for her hands.

"I love you, Sheldon Cooper."

"And I love you, Penny Dixon, soon-to-be Cooper."

She went on her tiptoes and kissed him.

The restaurant erupted in applause and cheers for the second time that night.

* * *

Penny called her parents when they got home later that evening. Her dad answered, sounding like he had just woken up, but once Penny finished telling him the news, he was whooping for joy. Along with her mother, who had woken up, as well. They were happy for Penny and told her that they would come up to visit soon.

From his bedroom, Penny could hear the moment Sheldon had told his mother about the proposal. She had heard Mrs. Cooper's scream from where she sat in her spot on the couch. Leonard had heard it, too, and walked out of his room groggily.

"What's going on?" He squinted at the Penny shaped blur on the couch.

Penny held up her left hand, knowing that it would look like a blob to Leonard. "I just got engaged!"

"Great!" He said. "But if you'll excuse me, I'll be more excited about it tomorrow. Once I get some sleep." With that, he shuffled back into his room. Penny had to stifle a giggle and settled herself deeper into the couch. Over the last several months, Leonard had lost all of his jealousy that Sheldon was dating Penny. In fact, he liked that the two were together. Penny and Sheldon were his best friends and they were perfect for one another.

"My mother is very happy about the events of the night," Sheldon said, coming back into the room several minutes later, rubbing his temples.

"I couldn't tell," she giggled.

"Sarcasm." Sheldon flopped, very un-Sheldon like into his spot. "I'm not too tired to catch it, Penny."

She patted his thigh. "You're getting much better at catching it, sweetie."

He turned his head, from where it rested on the back of the couch, in her direction and smiled. "I have you to thank for that, Penny." He squeezed the hand that was still on his thigh.

They sat there in comfortable silence for a little while longer. The events of the night still had their hearts racing, but it had also been a long day for the both of them. Exhaustion was creeping up on them.

"I think I am going to to take a shower and then, get to bed." Sheldon stood. "Care to join me, Penny?"

"In bed? Of course." She stood, too.

"No, in the shower."

"Sarcasm?" She asked. But then looked in his eyes and saw that he was nervous. His hands were clasped behind his back, she guessed that they would be shaking slightly, as well.

"No, Penny. I was sincere. We are to be wed, and we will see each other in various stages of dress...or in this case, undress."

They had been together for a year, and things had gotten heavy between them as Sheldon grew more comfortable. But they had not reached _that_ stage yet. In fact, the most Sheldon had seen her undressed was without a shirt, and she had had a sports bra on, which covered most of her chest.

"I know we will, Sheldon." Everything in Penny wanted her to just strip naked right there and run into the bathroom with Sheldon. But he was nervous, and the other part of her wanted to wait until their wedding night to be with him like that. "But I think I would like to wait...if that's okay."

He looked a little relieved (and also a little disappointed, too, she noticed). "If you are sure, Penny."

"I am. I think it'll be worth the wait." She winked and he blushed a deep red.

"I-I'm sure it will."

**Four Months Later**

Penny didn't want a long engagement. She had been with Sheldon for over a year, long enough to know that this was the man she wanted to marry.

Together, they opted for a private wedding, with just their immediate families and closest friends in attendance. Leonard would be Sheldon's best man and Penny had joked that Raj should be her maid of honor. But that honor had gone to her sister, instead. The boys, plus Stuart, were Sheldon's best men. Two girls that Penny had worked with, plus Missy Cooper made up Penny's bridal party.

Dr. Mueller had flown in from Germany to see the wedding, and sat beside Meemaw and Mrs. Cooper, who had already started to cry before Penny had even walked down the aisle. She had been waiting for this day since Sheldon was born.

At the reception, Sheldon was off talking to his Meemaw, while Penny was with her parents. Dr. Mueller approached her and Penny stood to give him a huge hug. "I am so glad you're here!" She introduced them to her parents, who were even more impressed that their daughter knew a _German_ doctor, as well.

"So, will I get the privilege to be sharing a plane trip with you and Sheldon tomorrow?" Dominik asked a little later.

"You're going to Texas, too?" She asked. That was where she and Sheldon had decided to spend their honeymoon.

"No, I will be going back home and- Oh." He cursed softly. "I suppose Sheldon has not told you, then. It was most likely a surprise that I have just ruined."

"I...don't understand..."

At that moment, Sheldon came up from behind Penny, looking very handsome in his tux. "It is quite all right, Dominik. I was just about to tell Penny the news." He took a seat besides his wife.

"What is it?"

"I wanted to surprise you, Penny. For our honeymoon, we will be spending a week in Europe. I thought it fitting since that is where we first admitted our feelings to one another."

"That's wonderful!" She threw her arms around his neck. She had wanted to go back since the moment they had stepped back onto American soil. "But what about Texas? I just told your mother that we would be visiting her in a few days."

"We'll still be going there, but on our way back from Europe."

Penny was so happy, she was at a loss for words. This day could not get any better. She had married the love of her life, was surrounded by her loved ones and was now going back to the place that had made all of this possible.

"I love you so much, Sheldon Cooper."

"And I love _you_ , Penny Cooper."

**Two Years Later**

Penny and Sheldon Cooper welcomed their first child, Jennifer Marie Cooper into the world. Jennifer for the role that had jump started Penny's career, and who had given many hope that their dreams could come true, and Marie after Sheldon's Meemaw, Marie.

A year previous, Sheldon had won his Nobel and had gone on a tour, lecturing at various Universities around the world. Penny had received a supporting role in a movie, and had been nominated for an Oscar from said role. Though, she hadn't won, Penny had still been happy. Her dreams were coming true.

She decided to take a little break from acting, though. She and Sheldon wanted to start a family, and with Jennifer, Jenny for short, they did.

"You know, our daughter's name is going to rhyme with yours," Sheldon observed as he held the precious bundle in his arms.

"If we have a son next, we can have his name rhyme with yours," she teased.

"I do not think there are any suitable names out there that will do." His mind was already racing with various names. He made a face each time he thought of one. "Why don't we worry about that for when we do have a son?"

"Agreed," she said, tiredly and settled deeper into the pillows of her hospital bed.

"I love you, Penny...and Jenny," he said and kissed his daughter's forehead.

"And I love you both, too." She reached for Sheldon's shoulder and squeezed it lovingly before drifting off to sleep. It had been a _long_ day.

Penny Cooper could not have asked for a better life...or for a better man to spend that life with.

* * *

**I just want to say thank you to all of you who have stuck around to read this story over the years. It has really meant a lot to me and without you all, this story would have never been finished. I don't know if I will ever write another TBBT story after this since I don't watch the show anymore and won't have much time to write in the future, but I will forever LOVE this couple. Maybe one day I will be inspired to write another one. Who knows? ;)**

**Thank you all, again, for reading! :D I love you!**


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